AS someone living near Greenhead Park I am looking forward to the improvements to this great public space and its restored glory.

With this in mind I have been wondering what is going to happen to another site not too far away when its new home is completed – the current site of Huddersfield Technical College or, as it’s now known, Kirklees College.

As I was driving on the dreary A62 Southgate passing the dilapidated Sports Centre and other blots on the landscapes such as the YMCA, Crown House, Oldgate House and the BT building, I wondered what would happen to the empty college, bearing in mind that Oldgate House remains neither let nor sold.

How about knocking the Tech down and with the land create much-needed car parking!

The original Infirmary facade should be kept, then it could rise from the ashes and become a grand entrance to a modern extension that could perhaps house something such as a Huddersfield Museum – something that has been mentioned in your paper by readers on many occasions. If done sympathetically it could certainly be as impressive as St George’s Square.

Both the extra parking and a museum would bring in revenue for the town and bring life back to this area which will disappear when the students relocate.

I recently visited the relatively new Leeds City Museum and was very impressed.

We could do this in Huddersfield! John Avison’s All Our Yesterdays is proof that there is plenty of interest in local history and a town that has Rugby League and David Brown among many others to be proud of it shouldn’t be difficult to provide exhibits!

In the blurb for the Leeds City Museum it states that it is a great cultural addition to the heart of Leeds. I am certain that a Huddersfield Museum (and the car parking) would be exactly the same here!

John Buckley

Huddersfield

‘Wine’ was vintage

I AM writing in answer to a letter written by a Mr Owen Phillips in June in which he derided Last of the Summer Wine and made reference to Mr Bill Owen as a gurning fool.

What an insult to this fine actor who, with Kathy Staff, formed the most wonderful partnership, loved all over the country.

In Norfolk we have a market town called Thetford where Dad’s Army was filmed. The cast stayed in the town and were greatly loved and admired. In fact a statue of Arthur Lowe as Capt Mainwaring seated on a bench has been sited in the centre of town and will be much admired and visited.

Dad’s Army, like Summer Wine, are national institutions. Very soon I will be bringing my disabled son to Holmfirth and we will make for Sid’s Cafe as he loved Compo. The cast might not be heroes, but they are all little gems.

When Mr Phillips describes Summer Wine as a small and insignificant phase in Holmfirth’s history I’m nauseated. What kind of world is he living in?

Mrs Clark

Norfolk

Crossing over

FURTHER to the articles and letters on the proposed, erected, but not working puffin crossing on the New Mill/Holmfirth Road at the Sycamore – which person on the Highways and Kirklees authorised them?

Were no inquiries made or local opinion sought as to their feasibility?

All the schools and housing estates are on the New Mill side of the crossroads. They even defeat their own argument on the lights because they employ a school crossing patrol on this side. Were our councillors Firth, Sims, and Patrick consulted? Their silence on the subject is deafening.

So let’s have some common sense and put them on the New Mill side where they will be used!

Mr P Francis

Holmfirth

Criminal parkers

REFERRING to the letter ‘Fury at drivers who park on pavement’ (Mailbag, July 8), as I understand the law still stands at the moment, people who park on pavements don’t exercise their rights. They are simply breaking the law.

Pavements, according to the law, are public footpaths and obstructing them without a valid reason is classified as a criminal offence.

tony sosna

Huddersfield

Unknown forces

ODD, at Castle Hill we had a UFO sighting and now shortly afterwards a crop circle appears in a field nearby.

As the crop circle is near an old military base – as are many of the reported UFO sightings – could the two be linked?

So many crop circles are so sophisticated in their design that it is hard to think that humans have had a hand in building them. They say truth is stranger than fiction. Is there a group of people busy making crop circles or are there unknown forces at work?

ET

Honley

Tiger the genius

ALL geniuses are self-destructive and a genius in the golfing world has been Tiger Woods.

I just hope that Woods, for all his faults, is allowed to show why he is one of the sporting greats.

Sadly mud sticks and I hope he is remembered for his golfing triumphs and not for his off course antics.

Tiger always seemed too good to be true, dedicated to his sport, always portraying a clean cut image. But no man is perfect.

In my eyes he is a true dedicated sportsman to his chosen sport.

One under par

Meltham

Happy half-birthday

RECENTLY I read an article in a national paper that there is a new craze in the south of the country for now having half birthday parties because a year is too long for little darlings to wait for cakes and presents.

This I took with the proverbial pinch of salt until I saw Christmas cards on sale on July 10 in town!

So happy half-birthday and merry half-Christmas everyone.

mrs n clarke

Almondbury

Floral tribute

I WOULD like to say a big thank you to Kirklees gardeners John and his team for the beautiful floral display they have done on Croftlands at Newsome.

It looks great. Many thanks.

B THORNTON

Croftlands

Truth about ‘stress’

I AM very disappointed that a recent Examiner story came over as teachers being stressed out by school and their pupils.

The school where I am chair of governors saw nearly 30 days lost in 2009 after four years free of any such absences.

The reason? Two teachers unfortunately suffered from the bereavement or serious illness of close relatives within the same year.

It is entirely understandable when you know the facts to see why some of the Stress Sick Days occur and to realise that they are not all linked to issues at school.

I appreciate that the definitions being used are set by Government and/or the local authority and am sure that the trades unions were keen to get an alarmist approach flagged up as it supports their current approach to teaching.

But it would help to try to understand the facts behind the headlines. It would be good to see some balance on this subject.

Name and address supplied

Huddersfield

We are all different

AFTER reading about guitarist Ol Drake (Examiner, July 6) being insulted and threatened on a bus because of his dress and long hair I must say this disgusts me.

But since buses have only had a driver and no conductor, village idiots will always be around.

I remember years ago when I had long hair and dressed hippy-style as I went to the Builders’ Club in town, I was often called ‘weirdo freak’ but I just ignored it and carried on.

I think if these type of people, young or elderly, have nothing better to do than exercise their mouths with stupid comments about people then their own lives must be sad.

I hope one day they come of age and accept we are all different at the end of the day. Grow up and shut up I say.

colin vause

Marsh

Traffic turmoil

UNTIL recently – about three weeks ago – a driver could enter the town’s ring road at any point and drive around it just about all day if so wished.

Has anyone noticed that this is no longer the case?

I wonder, have the Highways Department hired a newcomer whom sits behind the camera screens taking delight at the view of bottlenecks he/she is creating by tinkling with the sequences of the traffic lights?

If so, the person (s) responsible might like to know they’re a nuisance to the commuter.

Mr Corcoran

Lockwood