Letters, March 1:

Mar 1 2010 by Sarah Bull, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THE Examiner’s recent story (February 18) about the problem of alcoholism was interesting for several reasons.

Firstly, I don’t believe that 10,000 people in an area as populated as Kirklees having a problem with the amount they drink is shocking. In fact, I’d say it was a rather conservative estimate.

If you go into any pub on a Friday or Saturday night or go into Huddersfield town centre you will see more people affected by drink than those in control of what they’re drinking.

It’s a sad story, but one replicated throughout the country, I believe.

I have, in the distant past, experienced alcoholism first hand and it’s a pitiful existence.

People know they are doing wrong but are too ashamed to ask for help. That’s the case with many of life’s experiences, but despite the amount of agencies who do good, people still feel isolated.

I think the reason for this is the media stereotype of an alcoholic and I hope the article you ran recently will help people see there is somewhere on their doorstep they can go to and get help – and that they will go.

TV programmes like Coronation Street sometimes treat alcoholism as a joke problem.

I’m sure many regular watchers can remember the hilarious scene where Peter Barlow was at the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with his dad Ken, stepmother Deirdre and step-grandmother Blanche – who threw the meeting into chaos with hilarious consequences.

It is good to have a laugh at, but hardly realistic, is it? And it doesn’t help people understand how deep the problem can be.

How can alcoholism be stopped? The answer is it can’t. Maybe a few landlords and bar staff could exercise some commonsense and say no when they see someone out of control, but it’s not their fault. They should not police people’s lifestyles.

Like eating junk food, we all know drinking too much is bad for us, but will we stop? No.Regardless of all the government initiatives and money poured into tackling the problem, only bad experiences will have any impact. And to experience those, many people have to hit rock bottom.

I congratulate Kirklees Alcohol Advisory Service for being there for those who do hit rock bottom. They are very much needed.

L Anderson

Dalton

Essential service spending

IT IS reported that council members are meeting to discuss a £400m spending cut in the budget over the next three years.

This and the loss of 1,500 jobs will obviously mean a reduction in services for the council taxpayers.

How then can council members vote for £50,000 to be spent on security measures for shopkeepers which I presume are privately owned businesses? This comes on top of the £25,000 already in place to install cameras in taxi cabs, also privately owned.

In times of recession, priority should be given to maintaining essential services and not embarking on what can only be described as profligacy.

John Fell

Crosland Hill

What about pension ‘con’

HAS anyone noticed how we have been conned out of half the increase for this year’s pension?

Not only has it been cut to 2.5% as opposed to last year’s 5% but they are only putting the increase on the basic pension.

Not on additional state pension or graduated retirement benefit, as in previous years, which is making a drop of about £2.50 on my pension.

It seems the £250 winter fuel allowance they gave us at Christmas they are now taking back very cunningly.

Don’t forget Mr Brown it’s election year so don’t expect my vote!

irate pensioner

Dalton

A roundabout way

MAY I explain to so many motorists who do not seem to know that those big white spots on the road at junctions, crossroads etc are roundabouts and the same rule applies.

You give way to the car on your right and make sure there isn’t a fool to your left who comes straight out as you are on the roundabout and misses your car by centimetres as happened to me recently as I entered Morrison’s car park.

j maddison

Lepton

Lethal weapons

PEOPLE who carry knives should have to have a licence for them as do people who carry guns.

Knives can be just as dangerous as guns so the penalty for carrying them illegally would carry the same sentence as for carrying guns.

john kennet

Longwood

Every vote counts

HOW disappointing to read the views of the five young female students on voting in the coming General Election.

To be so apathetic is an insult to Emmeline Pankhurst and her supporters who suffered so much to get the vote for women.

It is no good grumbling about the state of things if you do nothing to try and alter them.

mrs n clarke

Almondbury

Wrong way to Brighouse

I BOARDED the 549 Brighouse bus last Wednesday in St George’s Square at lunchtime, expecting the bus to take its normal route via Birkby and Cowcliffe.

Unfortunately it didn’t. I was due to get off the bus on Grimescar Avenue but the bus went another way.

Another passenger and I approached the driver who said he had been told to go on Bradford Road and turn off by Asda. Why did the driver not inform anyone as we got on?

The other passenger asked for his fare back but the driver refused, saying he would contact the police – at which point I got off the bus to avoid any confrontation.

How many more passengers who, like myself, paid their fare in good faith then have to endure a very long walk home or a taxi fare on top of the £1.80 already paid?

It is not good enough, First bus. Not every 549 passenger wants to go to Brighouse.

Angry Asthmatic

Birkby

Lindley Moor dismay

WITH Kirklees Planning Committee it’s almost impossible to be wrong.

It was clear from the outset that Lindley Moor would be built on.

Yet again they have given approval for a development that local people opposed. Even Derek Ibbotson spoke up against it. He should have known better. The planning committee knows best in spite of informed opinion against.

It seems that no matter what objections are presented, the committee and the planning department go their own way and ignore them.

I see that on this occasion the decision was opposed by other councillors and it wasn’t a unanimous decision – but this is small comfort to those residents who will now have to suffer the consequences of this dreadful council.

There are some signs that they may be learning a little as they now hide behind Government guidelines, but this isn’t good enough.

Why do they never explain or seek to justify their decisions?

Perhaps they know they are on borrowed time and are pursuing a scorched earth policy.

If so, then now is the time for developers to get their plans in, in the knowledge that our council will pass anything.

Trevor Woolley

Linthwaite

Cats make a mess too

I READ all the letters in the Examiner complaining about the dog mess on all the streets, and agree that it is disgusting.

We suffer with it here – Almondbury Bank and School Street – just like everywhere else, although all the dogs passing seem to be on leads so the owners are fully aware of it.

As long as it’s not outside their house it must seem to be ok.

But what about the cat mess? I’ve just been in my garden and filled half a carrier bag with this horrible, messy, foul-smelling stuff.

How do we keep neighbours’ cats out of our gardens?

I’ve tried various cat repellents but none ofŠ them keep the devious creatures away.

Any recommendations?

c armitage

Almondbury

Architectural hypocrisy

AS a student at Kirklees College I would like to support vice-principal Melanie Brooke’s stance as reported in the Examiner on February 24.

Councillors need to realise quickly that most people do not care about Yorkshire stone.

It’s about time there was a building in Huddersfield which looked to the future, not harked back to the past.

The hypocrisy of the councillors is remarkable. Their Civic Centre buildings are some of the ugliest in the area. They were also behind the complete farce that was the development of St George’s Square.

This new campus is fantastic news for the town.

It makes me want to keep studying and think about which course I can enrol on when the centre opens in 2012. The facilities inside are going to be unbelievable.

At a time of recession, this development is a rare piece of good news.

Let’s celebrate the new Kirklees College and think how great it will be for the area.

The councillors of the planning committee should hang their heads in shame.

Robert Thompson

Birkby

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