02/05/05

This new bus service will join the ever increasing traffic queues along Yarm Road due to Darlington Borough Council's unpopular, but incessant, implementation of unnecessary traffic lights, Pelican crossings and narrowing of roads.

Residents and businesses of east Darlington and Middleton St George will suffer from more congestion by this crazy service.

The real and obvious solution would have been to make the regular Darlington to Middlesbrough train service call at the under-utilised Teesside Airport railway station and run a shuttle bus service from the airport station to the terminal's buildings via airport car parks and businesses within the complex. - M Anderson, Middleton St George.

HIGHWAY QUESTION: I SEE that the Tourism Review Group refers to Darlington as "an attractive historic market town", with which all will agree.

The council wishes to attract more tourists and I wonder if this is before, during or after the demolition of High Row takes place.

The council, as highway authority, is of course only the owner of the road surface, the subsoil remaining in the ownership of the person(s) who dedicated the land for highway purposes.

Once the highway ceases to be used as such then it reverts to the said owner(s).

I wonder if the council has the right to do such major non-highway works and has considered the legal position? - John W Antill, Darlington.

I THINK that at this time Darlington Borough Council should be reminded that their proposed vandalising of the area known as High Row is against the concept of protecting the heritage of the borough.

But I suppose in their arrogance the council will go ahead anyway.

To do the work of preservation would cost a lot less in council tax than trying to make a silk purse out of the ear of a sow. - ME Harris, Darlington.

AFTER SADDAM: With reference to the attendance of Bethany Megan Robinson at a memorial service in Fleet Street (HAS, Apr 27), may I ask if she attended the services of the Red Caps killed after Saddam? I doubt it.

Everyone seems to forget that we went to war because of the weapons of mass destruction, not, so we were told, to remove Saddam, bad as he was. Now, because the weapons claims have been proved to be untrue, we did go to remove Saddam.

Why don't we go to Russia, Sudan and every other country that has a dictator (that's someone who believes he is always right)? Sounds familiar.

An after thought: our armed forces in Iraq can't vote but the people who we fought can. Is this right, I wonder? - Peter Brown, Trimdon Village.

FLY THE FLAG: IT IS with bitter disappointment that I read of the Royal Navy being banned from flying the flag of St George.

As many will know, the White Ensign is the flag of the Royal Navy.

This flag consists of a St George flag with the Union Jack in the top corner. By tradition, this flag is hoisted every morning at 9am and lowered at sunset by all Royal Naval vessels no matter where they are in the world. This is to show that it is a British warship and anyone on that vessel is on British Territory.

No other nation in the world would be expected to lower their national flag for fear it may offend others. Especially in their own home port.

Are these jumped-up political bureaucrats going to stop the tradition of raising and lowering the White Ensign because it has the St George cross incorporated in its design?

Our men and women serving on these vessels are British and proud to serve their country.

It is a disgrace to them that some pen pusher from Whitehall - who probably has never even seen a warship - can make such a decision.

We are proud to be British, let us fly the flag of St George. - Ray Vincent, ex Royal Navy submariner, Darlington.

FISH FRIENDS: I SUPPORT Kathy Barley's plea (HAS, Apr 21) to people to write to their council about fairground prizes of goldfish.

If half of us who oppose this disgusting practice were to write, it would almost certainly be discontinued.

But to those who are opposed, please be among the half that write or nobody will.

It doesn't have to be much of a letter, just let the council know that you are against it. - R Brown, Newton Aycliffe.

RURAL REQUEST: POSTWATCH, the independent consumer watchdog for postal services, wants to hear from rural consumers about what they use their local post office for and what changes might improve its service.

We are looking for volunteers to complete a short, written questionnaire on the subject. The questionnaire is aimed at anyone living in a rural community (defined as having less than 10,000 inhabitants) and will help Postwatch to advise on how the rural post office network might best meet the needs of consumers in the future.

If your rural post office is important to you, please let us have your views.

You can get a copy of the questionnaire by phoning Postwatch Northern England on (01274) 207218, faxing (01274) 230042 or emailing info@postwatch.co.uk - Judith Donovan CBE, Regional Chairman, Postwatch Northern England.

FACELESS CENTRES: I WAS delighted to read Peter Mullen's piece "In mourning for the city of my youth" (Echo, Apr 19) lambasting the way Leeds, the town he was born and raised in, has been trashed by the inner city developers who have turned streets once full of thriving local shops into identikit, meretricious shopping malls and mega-pubs.

I feel for him and agree with him. Today's town and city centres are now nearly all faceless centres for the national shop chains, chains catering for a largely alienated consumer class and offering less choice and variety year by year.

But, surely the reason for all this isn't too far from Mr Mullen's own workplace? As Chaplain to the London Stock Exchange, he must be aware that the pressure for that kind of development comes precisely from the city institutions and financial corporations that he ministers to.

It may be, granted, a bit late in the day, but perhaps Peter Mullen could liberate his newly found anti-capitalist urges and castigate the city slickers who have vandalised his beloved Leeds, as well as all those other towns and cities across the country which have undergone the same makeover. - David Walsh, Darlington.

CUTTING COMMENT: IT'S about time that someone did something to improve the appearance of Camilla's hair.

I mean, how long before her messy hairstyle is compared with the animals' from The Muppet Show? - Aled Jones, Bridlington.