PHRASES like ‘The stranglehold of the EU’ and ‘this shambolic European organisation’ are being used by writers to this page who resent the fact that we are ourselves voluntary members of the organisation they lambast and have a hand in formulating its policies through our elected MEPs.
The writers who advocate leaving the European Union do so without a thought of what the situation would be afterwards. They cannot face the fact that we no longer have an empire, but are a small nation in an interdependent world.
We are in a powerful organisation of 450m people with whom we have most of our trade – trade without barriers. We can travel freely to holiday or work in any of the EU countries.
If we were to pull out, these advantages would disappear. Tariff barriers could, and probably would, be set up against us from the other 26 EU countries. We would be a small fish in a big sea with no back-up from our ex-empire or colonial friends.
India and China are now the countries with the money and they loan it us so we can buy their goods. So we have a huge national debt too.
Without the mutual support of the rest of the EU we would become an insignificant nation. Scotland and perhaps Wales could well decide to remain in the EU and benefit from it. And right now three more countries with a total population of 79m are anxious to join. Are we English the only ones out of step?
It’s all very well to wish Queen Victoria was still on the throne and to remember the last war (with American help) but this is the 21st century. We share our sovereignty with 26 other European countries and we should keep it like that.
John S Murray
Honley
Library and music
LIKE A Clifton (Mailbag, October 29) I also am concerned about the proposed closure of the Yorkshire Music and Drama Library as I remember the situation at Huddersfield Public Library prior to its formation.
I was a junior library assistant in the 1950s when Mr Aldridge was appointed Chief Librarian on the retirement of Mr Goulden. Huddersfield had a very well stocked music library looked after, I think, by Miss Miller.There was a large collection of orchestral works and vocal pieces, including church anthems and sheet music in stock.
My church and many others used to borrow multiple copies of pieces such as Pratty Flowers and Where The Bee Sucks.
The music library also contained many vocal scores of musicals, old and new.
Huddersfield had even more operatic societies and choirs than it has now.
Mr Aldridge, in my hearing, was very contemptuous of any but very highbrow music and threw out thousands of scores of sheet music.
The music library became a shadow of its former self and not much use to music lovers. It was incorporated into the lending library under Mr Kerrigan, who seemed to have no interest in music.
I know that membership of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association means that organisations can borrow material from their library, but there are demands upon it throughout Britain.
Their scope does not include church and folk music.
I do not want the valuable Yorkshire Music and Drama Library to close and music borrowers to be thrown back into the situation of the past.
Miss B Helliwell
Huddersfield
TV rules fixtures
WASN’T that a nice gesture from Dean Hoyle, chairman/owner of Huddersfield Town Football Club, to provide the first 500 coach seats free to watch our rearranged Town fixture at Charlton Athletic? Now our team will be playing on the Monday night as opposed to the Saturday afternoon.
Why don’t I feel happy now the full day in London has been cancelled? That special Christmas present for her that must be obeyed is also cancelled.
Looks as though I shall have to trawl through the many charity shops and pound shops that abound in Huddersfield once again for that all important annual olive branch. Thanks should go to Mr Hoyle, but let’s not forget Sky TV who now run the FA and our football fixtures.
Remember Sky TV has also rearranged our home game starting time against Brentford in the New Year. Come on yer blues.
R J Bray
Shelley
Making a stand
I READ with some dismay that, at council taxpayers’ expense, Clr Andrew Marchington proposes to give pensioners specialist mountain climbing equipment, crampons, to enable them to get a grip in slippery conditions.
What nonsense are they going to come up with next? Is he going to suggest that we also park our cars and use husky dog sleighs to do our shopping and get to work?
The solution is very simple, Clr Marchington. Let’s grit the roads, then not only will the pensioners get a grip, so will every one else. I think Clr Marchington should put on a pair of these ‘crampons’ and try to walk in them under any conditions.
David Townend
Linthwaite
Salty solution
CLR Marchington recommends that the council supplies spikes for shoes this winter.
A council spokesman says we have enough rock salt to cope this winter. So why not put the rock salt on the road – a much better idea!
Bill Place
Salendine Nook
Demolition ‘excuses’
WITH reference to the Examiner story of the demolition of the caretaker’s bungalow at Honley Junior School, I cannot believe the excuses the Kirklees Council spokesman gave in order to demolish a perfectly good bungalow.
He must think that the residents of Honley are as thick as two short planks.
The bungalow had a perfectly good path leading to it so why did this spokesman state that in order to rent out or use for another purpose another access had to be made through a border wall?
The cost of knocking a hole through a wall would come nowhere near the cost of the machinery and five men’s wages for demolishing the building.
Add to that the revenue that would have been raised over the five years the building was empty.
Peter J Budd
Honley
Excellent stroke unit
RECENTLY I suffered a minor stroke and was admitted to the Stroke Unit at Halifax Infirmary for a few days.
The treatment I received was so good that I felt I should write to publicly thank the staff. All were kind, competent and efficient – from the consultants to the most junior nurses and support staff.
Fortunately I have previously not needed much hospital treatment and have now recovered well, thanks to the excellent care which I received. I think that the Halifax Stroke Unit is a very good example of how things should be done in the NHS.
Betty Ibbotson (Mrs)
Holmfirth
Fawkes ‘fortnight’
I SEE that the people of Lockwood are to be treated to an organised bonfire and firework party on Sunday, November 6.
Why? What’s wrong with November 5? For once we have Guy Fawkes night falling on the most convenient day when, in most households, probably at least one person has not had to go to work, followed by a day when children do not have to go to school. What could be better?
And yet we still have events organised for different nights in different parts of the town. Why can we not for once at least have one good whizz-bang bonfire night that we can all enjoy on the traditional date, instead of suffering what has become ‘bonfire fortnight’?
Alan Starr
Golcar
Total ban on hunting
I COULD not agree more with the letter from James Harrington, Adviser, Countryside Alliance (Mailbag, October 29) where he lists the many anomalies in The Hunting Act 2004.
Surely though the answer to solving these anomalies is to ban hunting totally, which I am sure would do much more for animal welfare than his suggestion of repealing the Act.
Roger Lindley
Netherthong
History repeats itself
I READ with interest Barry Gibson’s article on the state of Deighton Methodist Church burial ground. (Examiner, October 27).
I thought I had read this before. Indeed, an almost identical story appeared in the Examiner in October 2005 with the headline Sorry State Of War Heroes’ Graves.
In an exchange of Mailbag correspondence then, I said (October 18, 2005): ‘Option 3 – Do nothing and hope the problem will solve itself.
It won’t, it will just get worse, then a few years down the line someone else will start the whole saga again.’
At the time a team was assembled and the job satisfactorily completed.
Unfortunately, it did not stay clear for long. By the next year the graveyard had become overgrown again, which I noted in a letter dated June 8, 2006).
Keith Hinchliffe
Lepton
Fantastic evening
WE had a fantastic evening at the Rose and Crown, Cop Hill. Food and staff superb, all thanks to Dig Out Doug.
Joan and Richard Berry
Taylor Hill
