11/09/04

My youngest son was landlord of the Oak Tree Inn, which stands on the edge of the aerodrome, when survivors of 419 and 428 Squadrons met there on June 14, 1985, to reminisce about their wartime exploits. The pub itself held many memories for them and we, as a family, did our best to make it a memorable day.

In return we were presented with the history and it was then that I talked to many of the ex-aircrews and collected their signatures. There, together, are the names of Jack Friday, Jim Kelly, Roy Vigars and Andrew Mynarski's sister, Stephanie Holloway. Roy Vigars, navigator of A for Able, was actually RAF. For some reason, most Canadian crews had an English member.

The morning following this get-together, the ex-airmen along with wives and many locals assembled at the airport for the dedication of the Royal Canadian Air Force memorial stone that stands at the front of the St George Hotel. At the conclusion of the service a lone Lancaster flew overhead.

It was sad to read in The Northern Echo that all of the crew who flew with Mynarski and survived after being shot down on June 13, 1944, have now passed on. - AH Boddy, Darlington.

ALAN MILBURN

POOR Alan Milburn has some dilemmas. As a father, I understood when he left the Department of Health to "spend more time with his family". Now, however, he has decided that he'd rather spend time with his pal Tony Blair - I don't understand that decision!

Another dilemma is his relationship with a private health firm - does he maintain it and risk magazines like Private Eye commenting still further upon it?

Then there's the whole election process, what does he do? His conscience maybe tells him to follow his socialist principles (the ones he used to have when he ran that left-wing bookshop in Newcastle), but those aren't fashionable with New Labour so he has yet another dilemma.

How closely should he support Mr Blair? As the Conservatives have shown, political leaders can change quickly - maybe that is why Mr Milburn keeps slithering in and out of Mr Blair's shadow, so that he is ready when a vacancy occurs.

But no. As Mark Anthony would have said of Brutus: "This is an honourable man." Like Caesar, Tony Blair must be relieved to have some strong people behind him.

I am sure that the people of Darlington want to help Mr Milburn with his dilemmas. I hope that at the next election voters will decide that he should spend MUCH more time with his family and make the decision for him by voting Liberal Democrat! - Robert Adamson, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Darlington

WHO is paying Alan Milburn's salary?

He has returned to the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster but has no Government responsibility at all - he is solely charged with ensuring a Labour Party win at the General Election.

Yet will his Cabinet member salary be paid by the Labour Party or by the taxpayer? Or is he doing the role for free?

Surely if his Cabinet salary is being paid in the normal manner then the Prime Minister has stretched the limits of ethics too far. Has any other Prime Minister ever so flagrantly abused their position in such a way, for their own personal and party ends? - Ian Thompson, Spennymoor.

ISLAM

TONY Kelly (HAS Sep. 10) falsely claims that I regard Muslim governments as "inoffensive". I have, on the contrary, repeatedly described Islamic regimes as corrupt and repressive.

My contention is that it is wrong to conclude from this that Islam is, as Mr Kelly puts it, "a suspect religion". Such regimes, often propped up by the West, are dominated by tiny, corrupt elites, and the populations they oppress are also Muslims, as are many of those who campaign for justice and human rights in those countries. Likewise, only a tiny minority of Muslims engage in terrorism.

As for the dreadful situation in Darfur, it is true that the Arab militias are Muslim, but so too are the black Africans whom they murder, rape and terrorise. This is certainly ethnic cleansing, but its basis, on this occasion, is racism rather than religious fanaticism. - Pete Winstanley, Durham.

WHY is it that left-wingers like Hugh Pender blame the atrocities in Beslan on anybody but the evil terrorists themselves (HAS, Sept 9)?

The only people to blame for this hellish act are the Islamic terrorists. Not President Putin, not George W Bush nor Tony Blair. The terrorists are the ones who blew themselves up and murdered infants and their families.

Mr Pender congratulated The Northern Echo for its "sensible" coverage of this outrage. The most "sensible" thing The Northern Echo can do now is to set up an account with a high street bank which could allow its readers and the general public to donate to the victims and their families, who were involved in this vile act of terrorism by Muslim fanatics. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

SMOKING

THE Government is very concerned that foxes are killed in a quick but painful way and so is intent on banning fox hunting, which will save a few foxes.

So why is it not concerned about drug addicts smoking in public places? These addicts infect and kill thousands of innocent people in a long and much more painful way. - E. Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

GRAEME SOUNESS

I REMEMBER seeing Graeme Souness play for Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park many times. He was a tough tackling, no nonsense midfielder, but above all that was his skill at winning the ball for his side.

He came to Middlesbrough from Tottenham and shortly after his arrival I remember Boro manager Jack Charlton saying that Souness had made a great difference to the team.

Graeme Souness himself has spoken well of his time spent at Middlesbrough. By becoming Newcastle United's manager he is merely renewing his links with the region. Good luck to him on his appointment. - LD Wilson, Guisborough.

Sedgefield TOILETS

FOLLOWING my recent letter about the lack of public toilet facilities in Sedgefield (HAS, Aug 21), I note no enthusiasm from the parish council members to do much, if anything, about this.

As with any sizeable population, there are many people for whom the provision of a properly presented public toilet block is a necessity because of a prevailing medical condition.

This council cannot expect local businesses to provide such facilities for the general public and I and others would like to know just what is being done about this. - C Brian Hunter, Sedgefield.