12/04/05

If the Irish are allowed to have the time off for St Patrick's Day, then surely English people should be allowed time off on our saint's day.

I hope that my fellow English patriots have a great time on St George's Day.

I will start the day off with a cooked English breakfast, before heading to town to join friends to toast St George with fine English ale.

I'll end the day with British beef, veg and potatoes. I just hope that many other Englanders follow suit. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

EU CONSTITUTION

WE are now being inundated with appeals from all political parties to vote for them in the coming General Election.

Shortly after the general election has been decided there will be a referendum on the EU Constitution and the outcome will decide our future for generations to come.

It is appropriate, therefore, to ask all candidates how they will vote in the referendum and in the House of Commons.

If they are not prepared to give this undertaking they do not deserve our support. We are entitled to have a say in our future. It has long been a fundamental principle of government in this country that any law introduced by a government can be amended or scrapped by any succeeding government.

This will no longer apply if the EU Constitution were to be ratified. - R Davies-Evans, Darlington.

SHOCK HORROR

I RECENTLY had occasion to walk down Abbey Road in Darlington and was horrified at the edifice that has arisen in place of the old Grammar School pavilion.

Having spent many hours in and around the old building as a relief from more academic pursuits, I felt it was a place of tranquillity and splendour in a green oasis.

Its replacement, a metal sheeted and brick public toilet lookalike, is, quite frankly, a disgrace and a complete capitulation to the yob culture, which has obviously caused this defensive structure to be erected.

I cannot, and don't want to, believe that any architect would present this as a solution, so responsibility must lie with the educational hierarchy.

Whoever is responsible should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves for causing such a tasteless carbuncle in a place of such prominence.

I sincerely hope that photographs of the old grand pavilion have been preserved for Echo Memories so that future generations can see what we used to be able to achieve. - Neil A Anderson, Darlington.

WAR ZONES

IT SEEMS that every day there are newspaper reports of vandalism. We have only to look around our villages, towns and cities to see the handiwork of these mindless thugs.

When caught, the usual excuse is that they were drunk or on drugs or both, so not aware of what they were doing. Poor excuse. They well know the effects that drink and drugs have on their minds and behaviour, yet they still indulge.

The majority of decent members of society long to see this vandalism stopped for good and our communities returned to looking clean and attractive, not like war zones.

These youngsters know what they're doing is wrong, yet they persist. Present penalties don't seem to be working. The silent majority no doubt longs for something gloriously medieval in nature to see what effect that would have in the way of punishment.

Sadly, such measures will never be tried and we will continue to see the vandals cocking a snook at the law and society in general. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

FOUL PLAY

AS a former Northern League footballer as well as a teacher/youth leader, may I endorse your editorial (Echo, Apr 5) on making the punishment fit the crime for Newcastle United's Lee Bowyer.

He has brought the game I used to love into total disrepute, so perhaps a tougher sanction before the sack. - S Wilson, Sowerby.

WHY all the commotion about two people having an argy-bargy on the football field? I, for one, found it very amusing.

One only has to look at ice hockey or Australian rules football to realise we are taking ourselves far too seriously and are encouraging our youngsters to be too effeminate. - M McGregor, Shildon.

MILITARY WIVES

I WOULD like to contact former military wives who may be interested in participating in my PhD research project about marital breakdown and family change in the British armed forces.

This is an exceptionally neglected area in both military and social research and I would be interested to hear from anyone who is separated or divorced, whose former spouse is either still serving in the military or was serving at the time of marital separation.

I am a former military wife and can assure anyone who contacts me that privacy, confidentiality and anonymity will be respected at all times.

This research adheres to rules laid down by the British Sociological Association. I will be very happy to provide further information and can be contacted in confidence. - Lynda Nicholson, Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leics. LE11 3TU. Tel: (01509) 228359.

VOTING SYSTEM

THE present postal voting system, after the court case at Birmingham, and allegations from other areas, has become completely discredited.

The recent practice of allowing candidates to have the names and addresses of those who vote by post before polling day is unacceptable.

In recent years, those in political circles have become increasingly aware that after each election, candidates are able to get a complete list of those who voted, but not of course who they voted for, for a small fee.

The general public are not aware of this arrangement. Those who I have mentioned it to are aghast. Many will think, not unreasonably, that it is a small step from "knowing you have voted" to "knowing who you have voted for".

This arrangement is bad enough, especially with the Data Protection Act, but it is worse with voting information being released prior to the counting of the votes and should cease forthwith. - Stan Smith OBE, South Shields.

PARK SHAME

I AM sure I am not alone in feeling these new wardens are a waste of money. Shildon Town Council has spent thousands in Hackworth Park but new trees were only in two days before vandals snapped them.

I asked for the wardens to investigate three youths who had participated in anti-social behaviour. By the time they wandered down to the park the vandals had gone. Disgraceful.

I asked the police, who were very sympathetic, for the contact in charge of these wardens. Three weeks ago I wrote to him; to date no reply. No wonder his staff are so motivated. - Robert Bridgett, Shildon.