Car park city: I live near The Sands, and I now look out over five car parks. They are disruptive, hideous, noisy and smelly.

But what really frustrates me, is the car-driven policy that built them. Durham isn't the worst - but the harm really shows in a small, beautiful city like ours.

We don't need park-and-ride, which is a ridiculous arrangement. Two journeys, load and unload twice, and wait in a windy car park? No thanks.

We need buses. To make us use buses, the service must be excellent, which will require the money we now spend on car parks. Buses must be frequent, from every street, one ride per trip. People don't want to walk miles, wait, wobble up steps, be uncomfortable, struggle to stow baggage, or change buses. Cars are no solution. Parked, they blight the city. Moving, they clog up the roads.

I only hope our city will buck the trend and fund a public transport system before Durham is covered in tarmac and the cathedral is turned into a multi-storey.

Soran Reader

Durham City

Potted learning

I was saddened but not surprised to read of the disappointment of the potters whose class at New College has been discontinued. Exactly the same fate befalls modern language students attending evening classes.

It seems that no one is allowed to enjoy learning for its own sake any more. Everything hinges on accreditation and having a sufficient number of students to make a course financially viable.

A group of us who had studied Italian to Level 3, but felt we needed to consolidate before moving on, found that there is no provision for repeating a year without paying an enormous fee. This is very frustrating. I have found a solution at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, at Newcastle University. However, the ridiculous amount of travelling, especially when there is a newly expanded College of FE on my doorstep has not escaped me. I see that links are being established between the two institutions and would hope that this will embrace better provision for those of us who wish to continue to learn.

Diana Sanderson

Durham City

Gala struggle

I have read various reports stating the Gala Theatre struggles to make ends meet. If our recent experience is anything to go by then I am not surprised.

The show we went to see was excellent, the same cannot be said for the service at the bar. After queuing for 20 minutes to be served by the only barperson on duty I was informed he could not serve me as it was closing time.

If the management of the theatre want people to return they will have to provide a better service than we experienced.

A M Smith

Newton Hall