I WAS pleased to read Andrew Cooper's rebuttal (Letter, November 30) of one of the disbelievers of global warming (Letter, R J Bray, November 28).

I was also pleased to read of his belief that some of the benefits of wind turbines should be passed to those who live near them.

But he doesn’t go far enough in my opinion.

The whole exercise of subsidising energy production has alienated the mass of the public, because it has been another contribution to the depressing impoverishment of the poorer sections of the community for the benefit of the richer.

I’m also surprised that neither letter mentioned the relative success of the subsidies for solar energy production.

In less than five years the cost of a household system, with the help of subsidies, which have increased take up and thus economies of scale, has reduced to about a quarter of what it was.

More importantly, it is now a viable long term investment to install solar panels, even if there were no subsidy.

I don’t know if wind turbines have been as successful, but when I gaze out on a clear day from up near the Sovereign and see the windmills and the distant conventional power stations at Drax and Ferrybridge, I know which I prefer.

I support subsidising of electricity production from renewable sources, but the benefits should go to the people, not the already well off.

Andy Macdonald

Huddersfield

Good call

WELL done to the Government for its approval for “fracking” for gas and hopefully the 60% reduction in gas prices it has brought to the USA.

Wait for a flurry of whining by the doom-saying Green lobby who’d rather we live in stone age conditions, or at the very least medieval ones.

Richard Huddleston

West Slaithwaite

A Christmas cracker

ON Sunday afternoon I was privileged to attend a concert in Huddersfield Town Hall which featured 160 Kirklees young performers ranging from ages 6 to 19 years.

The three groups performing were the Lindley Junior School Choir conducted by Alison North, The Kirklees Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Thom Meredith and Huddersfield Choral Society Junior Choirs conducted by Susan Wilkinson.

The concert was in aid of the Mayor's Charity- the Yorkshire Regiment Benevolent Trust.

The standard of musicianship was quite outstanding – we were treated to a delightful programme of Christmas music.

One item was Howard Blake's composition, Walking in the Air" from The Snowman - a piece in which all three groups came together with wonderful effect.

At the end of the afternoon I really did feel to be walking on air!

What a credit these young people are to their families. How lucky we are in Kirklees to have such dedicated conductors, accompanists and willing volunteers who enable these children to attain such musical excellence.

Not to forget the substantial sum they will have raised for a local charity.

Jenny Lockwood

Honley

Ticket question

NOT all passengers on trains arriving in Huddersfield are fare dodgers.

Northern Trains bring passengers from stations with no ticket offices. Tickets have to be obtained from the conductor/guard.

Most trains are overcrowded and the onboard staff have no time between stations to issue tickets to all passengers.

All First Trans-Pennine stations have ticket offices so they do not have this problem.

I can remember when ticket offices were closed extra staff manned the trains to help collect fares and issue tickets.

I hope when these barriers are erected, Revenue Protection Staff are there to issue tickets and not arrest innocent passengers!

JOHN GRIST

Lepton

Money on tap?

IN REPLY to Clr Nigel Patrick I totally agree with him.

There is enough communication without spending thousands on iPads. This is just a complete waste of money.

I live in a council bungalow being a pensioner can I get a new sink for the kitchen? No. I did ask why and they said they haven’t got enough money?

Now a sink wouldn’t cost as much as an iPad or am I grumbling too much?

A friend of mine asked for a cupboard for her kitchen and again was told no because they can’t afford one!

So all the councillors that did accept an expensive iPad think about me and my friend that didn’t get a new sink or cupboard for Christmas. Enjoy.

Have a lovely Christmas everybody

Mrs P Pickering

Denby Dale

Backing the Thandis

AS a writer stated in the Mailbag (December 6), give the Thandi brothers a break.

All they want to do is re-create the hotel which was there well before the ‘iconic’ tower, in fact, almost 100 years before!

It seems that they can’t ‘do’ right for doing wrong.

They are wanting to re-create a business. Countries thrive on business and the creation of finance to pay wages, council tax, business tax, and the purchase of everything else needed for running such a concern.

I can see no viable reason for a further planning refusal, and a ‘greenbelt’ and ‘nature reserve’ argument, is an argument for the sake of it.

I hope they succeed this time, good luck to them.

DAVID BULL

Skelmanthorpe

Listen and look

THE incident at Beech Hill crossing was tragic, however following the call to close unmanned crossings, I think they are perfectly safe if used properly.

After all you wouldn’t cross the road without looking both ways.

Use the phone provided at the crossing to alert the signaller if there is a problem and act on his advice. Be safe, stop, look and listen.

Brian Lawrence

Golcar

For the future

I AM a bit tired of people wingeing about Kirklees College.

It is built now and it is not for us older people, it is for the young people of tomorrow to study in.

I enjoy study, lots of older people do, but the provision for young students should be paramount and I hope that when the new building comes on stream it will be well used.

EDDIE SYKES

Slaithwaite