I WAS amazed to read (Examiner, October 5), that the Festival of Light date had been moved from the scheduled November 30 weekend to December 7.
How is it possible that Sky can be so thoughtless to disrupt all arrangements made by deciding to bring forward the Town against Leeds match to Friday evening, November 30.
A few days after reading of the new dates, the Kirklees magazine called Together plopped through the letterbox with, guess what, the dates of the Festival of Light advertised as November 30 to December 2.
Over 50,000 visitors are said to witness this fabulous event (who probably do not all subscribe to the Examiner).
I will be interested to know how many people turn up in St George’s Square on Friday, November 30, only to find themselves very disappointed and surrounded by thousands of football fans.
My own family visit from Warwickshire specially for this weekend.
Hope I’ve got the correct dates.
M GODDEN
Taylor Hill
Community transport
With reference to the article in last Tuesday’s Examiner about the 241 bus service, I raised this matter at the following morning’s Kirklees Passenger Consultative Committee (PCC) meeting in Huddersfield.
The Committee discussed the problem of providing public transport to small hamlets – especially isolated ones like Houses Hill – and agreed that there is no easy solution, especially if an operator decides it cannot afford to provide a service even with a subsidy from METRO - and if only 11 passengers a day use the service, the subsidy per passenger can become quite large!
The PCC suggested that the way forward in the case of Houses Hill and similar settlements could be some sort of community transport initiative using a minibus and volunteer drivers.
This would doubtless still require a subsidy, but probably a smaller one than at present. Maybe Christine Smith and her fellow Kirkheaton ward councillors could explore this possibility.
William A Kirby
Huddersfield
A brilliant band
I WAS fortunate to attend Skelmanthorpe Band’s arrival concert at the Town Hall last Saturday night.
As usual it was very entertaining. The band played and then their guests, Kimbers Men, sang their sea-related folk songs.
They were four men, each with their own individual voices but together what a fabulous sound they made.
The highlight of the concert for me though was the solos played by two very young men who play in the B Band.
They were both wonderful – a testament to the work done by Skelmanthorpe Band in encouraging youngsters into the band, looking to its future continuance.
Long may it continue and well done to everyone involved.
Rita Curry
Honley
Talk up the hill
I HAVE read with interest the letters regarding the pub restaurant decision at Castle Hill.
I thought that the public love of our favourite place would have a happy ending, but no.
I hope that when those councillors who voted against modern conveniences visit places in Britain and around the world, enjoy the wonderful views when they get there, but there are no toilets or places to eat or drink. But, they are able to pick up literature.
I don’t know the Thandi brothers, but living in Netherton I have heard that they have done wonderful things for various charities, have agreed to stick to planning and to improve the road up to Castle Hill. What more can they do?
Come on people of Huddersfield, make it public what you really want, the right to visit our most beautiful place, show it off to our friends and have modern conveniences.
The road does need to stay safe and open because elderly and the disabled need to have access to the best view your eyes can see.
M Hirst
Netherton
A wrong decision
THE outcome of the deliberations of the planning sub committee on the proposal (rebuild) of the Castle Hill Hotel was to a certain extent expected although the ‘one’ vote refusal was an interesting conclusion, and the reasons for the refusal were at best pathetic!
I totally agree with the comments of R J Bray, Shelley (Mailbag, October 9). Whether the ‘die is cast’ I feel has yet to be seen.
Mick and Barry Thandi are quite astute in their no comment post on the situation. They are keeping their ‘powder’ dry and are quite right to do so.
R J Bray’s comments at the end of his letter ie. "please remember councillors, we have greater needs than to pamper a patch of earth that in truth has little to hold you in rapture" is quite Churchillian in its delivery and we know what happened in those dark days.
David Bull
Skelmanthorpe
1970s memories
I THINK it’s a bit disappointing that the plans for a pub on Castle Hill have fallen through because I think a pub and a shop up there would have attracted people to visit the town’s Castle Hill.
Let’s face it, it’s a part of the town’s heritage.
When I’ve been on holidays and said I live in Huddersfield people have said is that where Castle Hill is?
When we moved from the Midlands when I was a child, my dad said you can fly kites on Castle Hill. There I visited the old pub in the 1970s.
They had folk music on Sunday nights which I never missed.
Those times were enjoyable to me. It was a bumpy drive up to the pub thought but who cared?
I think a building like a pub or cafe would be of benefit on this site, possibly a souvenir shop. Castle Hill is interesting to many tourists. It’s a shame it’s not been developed.
COLIN VAUSE
Marsh
Back to ‘basics’
THANK goodness one local councillor had the good sense to tilt the balance against a pub on castle Hill.
We can all now get back to ‘dogging’ and ‘piking’ without fear of unwanted intrudence.
Brian Horton
Berry Brow
Get rid of tower!
I AM saddened by the decision not to allow the return of a public house to Castle Hill.
Considering the reasons for refusal, let’s pull down that modern (relative to the pub) monstrosity, the Victoria Tower, clean out the old fortification ditches, thereby cutting the access road.
The hill will look as it should and with the reduced activity, as only fairly fit people would have access, wildlife will thrive.
Name and address supplied
Huddersfield
A bad idea
I COULD not believe it when I read that there was a proposal to put traffic lights at the roundabout at Ainley Top.
When did they ever solve a problem? They will surely only exacerbate the situation. Let’s leave the problem alone. We motorists cope with the situation satisfactorily.
Dismayed
Newsome
