25/05/05

All Mr Howe had to do was to phone or write to the Regimental Association of the Royal British Legion who would only be too pleased to look into his situation and give advice or help.

There are branches all over the United Kingdom and overseas. Addresses and phone numbers can be found in any telephone directory.

I am branch and service secretary of the Ferryhill Branch and the telephone number is (01740) 652751.

The Royal British Legion gives help every year to ex-servicemen and women and their families who have fallen on hard times. That is one of the main reasons we have the Poppy Appeal, asking for the generosity of the public, which we appreciate very much indeed.

So Bethany, you did say that you would gladly contribute to such a fund. All contributions are very welcome. - George R Miller, Ferryhill Branch, Royal British Legion.

PARTY INVITATION

MY wife Shirley and I would like to invite all veterans from the Second World War to a garden party on Monday, August 15, at Doxford Hall, near Alnwick, Northumberland, as our way of acknowledging the debt we owe them, and to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of the war.

The invitation to each veteran includes a carer/member of their family who is able to provide any help and assistance required on the day.

The party is planned to start at 10.30am with tea and Trotters' famous cream scones, fish and chips from Lewis's at lunchtime and afternoon tea at 4pm, finishing at 5pm.

On stage, under the direction of Mr Bob Jeffrey, will be five hours of wartime entertainment, including a children's choir, three big bands, a blind lady who is a great entertainer, and Rothbury Scottish pipe band.

There will also be a lady singing a selection of Vera Lynn's wartime songs, giving plenty of opportunities for a singalong, but probably the high spot will be the war veterans meeting old comrades.

If you would like a free ticket for the party, please contact either Lynn or Elizabeth on 0191-261 5135, who will be delighted to hear from you. - Brian T Burnie, Alnwick.

EUROPEAN UNION

LAST week I spent a few days with a friend who is in the car industry. We met one of his friends who is in the Heidelberg Chamber of Commerce. This letter arises from our discussions.

Discussions in Germany on the European Union are similar to those that I have in the UK.

A member of the Heidelberg Chamber of Commerce said that the Union's working practices need to move with the times in order to cut running costs. A senior manager in the car industry described the variety of ways that scrap cars are dealt with and the need to have as unified a policy as possible. Having heard their moans and groans, we looked at the alternative situation.

In a world where so much trade is truly international, neither party wanted to return to beggar-my-neighbour policies. As well as ensuring military peace, the aim of the Union is to develop co-operative approaches to common problems.

They see no other vehicle than the EU to achieve this.

Germany is not having a referendum on the proposed Constitutional Treaty and it was felt that this was wrong. They felt that the people should decide but only after time and effort was given to enable people to fully understand the options. They had no doubt that, given breadth and depth of understanding, the vote would be yes.

We need to have a situation where we can examine, warts and all, what the Union means for us. The majority of the British people would come to the conclusion that we have a better living standard in the Union rather than out. The Union is not perfect but it is demonstrably more perfect than the alternatives. - Bill Morehead, Darlington.

SPORTING CHANCE

AFTER watching most of Saturday's FA Cup final, I feel sorry for the real loser: the game of football. Having no affinity for either of the teams, I like to see the elements of a fair contest: skill, fitness, intellect, courage and teamwork.

It is a great pity that the holders of this FA cup finished second in all of those departments. When will the powers of this once beautiful game wake up to the basic requirements of sport?

Competition has to be fair, and ultimately the victory has to be deserved. Association Football lies rock bottom of all sports on the basis of fairness. It is safe to say that less than five per cent of a team's efforts (or none on Saturday, disregarding the lottery of penalties) are rewarded with a score. This makes a mockery of any team's abilities.

Yet the solutions are not difficult. The advantage of handling the ball by goalkeepers over the opposing forwards has grown over the years, mainly due to improved agility and fitness, and statistics state that the average number of goals scored in a game has decreased accordingly. This imbalance could be rectified by any good carpenter with some extra wood in the goalmouth.

Free kicks were once of value to the recipients. They are now easily conceded as a chance to regroup a defence. Many critics believe that the game has to be halted often while technology finds a correct ruling. This is not so. The only time we need technology is when the ball hits the back of the net, and even then decisions can be swift as well as accurate. - David Cadman, Darlington.

BE RESPONSIBLE

I AM truly incensed by a news story about three young teenage girls in Derby who have all had babies and who have the audacity to blame the Government for their ignorance.

This has to be the grossest example of the breakdown of morality and decency in our society.

The time has come for everybody to take responsibility for their actions. The people who 'trip' over a crack in the pavement or 'slip' on a wet floor and claim compensation have as much to be ashamed of as these three girls and their mother who want to blame somebody else.

Our world, thanks to lawyers, has become an Alice in Wonderland fantasy based on greed and lies. - D Brearley, Middlesbrough.

CYLINDER FAILED

AT the risk of seeming an even bigger anorak than Peter Roberts, (HAS, May 23), I'm afraid that he has his own facts wrong about the Rainhill Trials.

It was a cylinder on the Sans Pareil, which had been cast at Stephenson's factory, that failed and not the boiler, although the sabotage theory has never been proved. Regards from an ex-Shildonian - Philip A Steele, Crook.