I WRITE concerning the two letters about roads, one from Clr Tony Brice and the other from Claire Gammell, of Linthwaite (Mailbag February 9).

Having been a former colleague of Tony Brice from years ago – both of us at the time working in the Highways Department – we know a thing or two about politics and highways.

I wholeheartedly agree with what he says in replying to Clr Kath Pinnock and her statement “there is inadequate investment in our roads”. You only have to look around Huddersfield and see all the newly reconstructed roads that have recently been carried out. I personally spent 39 years in Highways (now retired) and can assure you that during Margaret Thatcher’s years the budgets were cut continually.

When Clr Pinnock was leader of Kirklees the same thing happened. She appears to have taken over the UK national leader’s mantel!

This continued lack of investment has now caught up with us and will take years and a lot of money to overcome. One of my last duties was to put together a three-year programme of roads throughout Kirklees requiring one of the different types of resurfacing. This I did, but did they all get done? No. Because there wasn’t enough money!

This brings me to Claire Gammell’s letter: “Why do we pay so much road tax with the roads not getting mended?” You now know why and who to direct your question to.

The question of digging up Manchester Road and the amount of men on site you should direct to Yorkshire Water. My experience is that you can liaise with the utilities until you are blue in the face; but they still dig the newly surfaced roads up. You don’t think Highways would dig up newly surfaced roads that they themselves have relaid do you? Would you smash something you have built?

I live in Linthwaite and have seen the potholes in Hoyle Ing. Are you asleep when you drive down there, because I use that road and do not have a problem. You don’t have to drive into the holes. The reason they fill them up as they do is to try and alleviate the amount of claims they get.

If you sue them and win an amount of money where do you think that comes from? Yes, out of the budget, meaning less money again to spend on the roads.

It’s just like a vicious circle and the Highways Department have always been the losers.

J A Shaw

Linthwaite

Christopher Dicks remembered

MAY I add a little to the fine obituary (Feb 12) of Christopher Dicks.

He was the son of J W (Johnny) Dicks who wrote, mostly under a pseudonym, for the Examiner for many years.

Christopher’s full name was John Elliott Christopher Dicks. I guess that Elliott may have been after Elliott Dodds, one-time Examiner editor.

Christopher kept wicket for Broad Oak as Honley piled on 557 in the 1952 Sykes Cup semi-final, which lasted six virtually full evenings. Christopher commented wrily in later years: “I remember it well; I was late for a friend’s 21st birthday party.”

Raymond P Prior

Stockport

‘He’s a silly man’

THE Colne Valley Voter who wrote about the ‘‘pathetic opportunist’’ has certainly hit the nail on the head, so to speak, about the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for the Colne Valley.

I have been a Conservative from the days of the Young Britons and find this candidate a silly man.

He has declared himself in literature as a Liberal Conservative! This is a new one on me. He is a member of Huddersfield Town and hopes they will reach the Premier Division. Will someone tell me what that has got to do with politics? For the first time in my life I shall not vote, nor help at the election.

Another Colne Valley Voter

Cheeky red sticker

LAST year our grey bin collection was cut from weekly to fortnightly collection, so we didn’t get our bins emptied for three weeks over the festive season. So the bins were put out not just overflowing but everyone had extra bags on top, also left on the ground.

Then of all the cheek . . . we brought our bins in after our collection on Wednesday last week to find a red sticker saying do not put bins out with extra bags on top. Place bins with lid flat.

How dare they add insult to injury? What are we supposed to do with two weeks’ rubbish?

Why don’t they provide everyone with an extra grey bin if they don’t want us putting bags on top with the bin lid open? What an easy job they have got. I remember when I lived in a terraced house and the binmen had to walk up our passage to pick the heavy metal bin up and carry it to the wagon then take it back empty. They should have their wages cut, as well as the other council workers.

Council tax payer

Dalton

Saintly archbishop

I HAVE much respect for the Examiner and the reporters and I like to read about their families etc. But I was shocked to read Barry Gibson’s diatribe about the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams (Feb 13).

As a Catholic, I have the greatest love and respect for the archbishop, who is a very saintly, deep- thinking theologian. The archbishop speaks out about issues, when sad to say, the Catholic bishops remain silent. The archbishop is so full of love and cares for us that it gets him into trouble from time to time.

Barry Gibson writes: “I laughed out loud, at the Sun’s front page. “What a burqa” etc; the Sun and such papers are no comparison to our Daily Examiner which writes with much dignity.

I really grieve for the archbishop and I defend him.

Mrs M McHugh

Dalton