A LETTER in Thursday’s Examiner criticised Clr Bolt’s enthusiastic championing of fortnightly waste collection.

However, at the end of the day it is the Government that is driving this. Clr Bolt is just the fall guy in Kirklees.

In the same Examiner a report said that Brighouse and Elland in Calderdale were going over to fortnightly collections, but residents there would get containers for food waste, which would be collected weekly. Doesn’t this sound a better idea?

Seems to me Kirklees needs to contact Calderdale to see how they can do this and we in Kirklees can’t.

Mirfield Resident

Pure water pleading

HOW interesting your article was about Kirklees spending £96,000 on bottled water. I believe them when they say the pipes are old. But what’s the problem? Could it be the threat of lead content? Well, well, I don’t blame them for not using it.

But what I would like to know is, how come it’s suitable for Kirklees staff to drink it when the Government are wanting to fluoridate our water, Fluoride comes form chemical waste that includes lead, among other poisons. Personally, I wouldn’t want to bathe in it, never mind drink and cook with it.

As Brenda Holroyd said (Mailbag, February 18) “get on fluoride tablets if you feel the need”. Or use fluoride toothpaste if you really think it will help. But please leave the rest of us to use the water that is, as yet, safe to do so.

I wouldn’t dream of asking anyone to join in my medication. Why should we be medicated again by the Government for ailments we haven’t got? For the true content of fluoridation go to info@npwa.freeserve.co.uk

Mrs A Power

Longwood

The early Harriers

I AM 95 years of age and was a member of Longwood Harriers before the Second World War. In 1933-34 or thereabouts the team won the Huddersfield and Halifax Junior Cross Country Championship two years in succession.

One of the leading runners was Frank Schofield, also Yorkshire half-mile champion. In 1912, Olympic year, Sam Thornton was an outstanding runner. Jim Shaw was the writer of the articles in the Examiner in those far-off days. Incidentally I was a Methodist lay preacher and the local shoe repairer in Marsh.

I thought I would write to remind you of the stalwarts of old. Other names that come to mind are Frank Hirst and Kaye Brook.

Jack Marsden

Grange over Sands, Cumbria

Where are the Whizzbangs?

DURING part of 1941-2 I had the privilege and pleasure of attending several of the Whizzbangs concert party’s performances at various military and civilian bases. They were performances of outstanding quality and greatly appreciated by the welcoming audiences..

I wonder if any of the members of the party have survived or if any of their families can provide any details of their subsequent lives.

My recollection is that a Mr Chinn was the leader of the party, and he lived with his wife and daughter Joan at a house on Meltham Road, a short distance from Lockwood. I believe he worked at the then Borough Treasurer’s Department. Any information will be much appreciated. Please send to me at 69 Rhydypenau Road, Cyncoed, Cardiff, CF23 6PY.

Walter Wood

Cardiff

They don’t represent us

WITH regard to children’s nurseries, road repairs, academy schools, parking, town centre regeneration (when it’s not wanted), and the disgraceful changes proposed to refuse collection I wonder why we bother to vote for council members.

They don’t seem to represent us, the electorate. They seem to ignore popular opinion significantly in order to impose on us what we don’t want to happen.

I always thought the council was supposed to represent the interests of the local people. No more it seems. They appear to be more interested in their own political postures, perhaps fired by the possibility of “expenses” to improve their own lifestyles.

I long for days past when councillors were unpaid, committed locals who truly could be trusted to work selflessly for the interests of their community and earned titles like alderman etc through their own integrity.

How can you encourage young people to take an interest in politics and local government when the daily experience of both is so flawed?

J W KLEINER

Outlane