So many more miles

Whilst I express every sympathy to Mrs Hauserman for her family's loss I am not sure that she is fully aware as to the extent of inconvenience this closure has caused to villages and the houses situated on the A19.

Already the closure of the interchange means an extra five miles on the journey of my mother and father (who are in their late 70s) just to get to church on a Sunday. Add to this their visits to the doctor's surgery, local Spar shop, my mother's social activities. In the course of one week it adds up to quite a lot of extra mileage.

If the closure of other crossings were to come about we are looking at even more miles travelled in order for them to get back to their house which would also mean the ambulance and taxi service, which collects my father to take him to day centres in Northallerton, having to travel further. All of this puts added strain on resources and this is just one instance in one household on the A19. How many more instances are there in the many homes affected by these closures, who are now having more traffic using their once quiet and safe roads? Will this result in more accidents involving cyclists and children who have been used to quiet village life.

One of our family members had an accident at the crossing some years ago which resulted in her never driving again but we accepted the fault was hers not the drivers travelling on the A19. In my opinion (and many other people I have spoken to on this subject) the main reason for accidents happening at the Black Swan is lack of patience on the part of the drivers crossing over.

There is no obstruction to the view of traffic travelling along the A19 whether crossing to travel North or South. We live in a world where impatient driving results in accidents. What happens next - do we close every crossing where there has ever been an accident?

Again I express my deepest sympathy to Mrs Hauserman but ask the question - would she have been in the slightest bit interested in the closure of the interchange had it not been for a member of her family having this dreadful accident? I wonder.

MANDY FIONDA

Hundale Road,

Hutton Rudby.

No-one's listening

Sir, - Well, the Black Swan crossroads has finally been blocked.

With 800 vehicles a day using the crossroads, that amounts to perhaps an extra 120 tons of carbon dioxide emitted per year with cars having to find alternative routes.

Still, that will add more than £10,000 to the Chancellor's coffers, so no harm done. And woe-betide anyone doing a U-turn between Crathorne and the Tontine! But drive a few yards further on and for some mysterious reason every piece of central carriageway tarmac is suddenly OK to do a U-turn on!

The oddest thing is that councillors complain and no-one listens to them about the closure. Government doesn't listen to county councillors, county councillors don't listen to district councillors and district councillors ignore the parish councillors. But what could be more natural? They've all had a lot of practise not listening to the views of the electorate.

What with parish councillors who "know best" and district councillors who can't be bothered to reply to letters (I presume too busy looking forward to the pension gained from being a councillor), and government departments which employ intelligent people to fend off crazy letter-writers, and Michael Howard who claimed he'd consider my letter as part of policy review for the Conservative party - clearly he never read the letter - why should any of us expect anything different?

Dr ANDREW J BACZKOWSKI

Trenholme Bar,

Northallerton.

Council work

Sir, - Householders are responsible for positioning at the kerbside full wheelie-bins ready for emptying and for collecting these bins after they have been emptied. Thus speaks Hambledon District Council.

I should like the legal basis for this new duty imposed on householders explaining in full. It seems to me that the latter have - in effect - become unpaid ex officio employees of Hambledon District Council. In that case, shouldn't all householders without exception receive from the council the minimum employment wage prescribed by law?

Alternatively, householders should expect from the council some quid pro quo for their unpaid labour - such as a reduction in their council tax.

Hambledon District Council does not stint itself when it comes to its own buildings. Who has paid for the luxurious new offices, gloriously festooned with flowers? Could it be the tax-payer?

So, could we have a full explanation, please, explaining the legality of coercing householders to perform council work FOR FREE with perhaps a photo of a councillor pushing his own wheelie-bin?

STUART ROBINSON

Osmotherley

Bins rejected

Sir, - I am incensed at the arrogant and shambolic way which Hambleton District Council has gone about the imposition of its wheelie bin policy.

Phone calls to Northallerton resulted in soothing words and an invitation to visit the touring road show where staff were placatory and reassuring. Yes, they were aware of the concerns of some people in central Stokesley, but a consultation programme would discuss their problems before the bins were delivered at the end of August.

The bins arrived last Friday - two of them and each full size.

When confronted, the functionary of the council appeared indifferent to questions about the promised prior consultation, though insisted we might reject the green bin, but the black one must stay and would be exchanged at some later date for a small one. Both bins were rejected by many people on Levenside West.

The stupidity of this one size fits all approach is well demonstrated by the fact that some of the homes along here have no back door, thus obliging residents to park bins at their front door. This in a conservation area much admired by visitors.

Others don't even boast so much as a window box. Many have cobbled fronts. Unlike other areas, such as parts of Teesside, we have been offered no choice in this matter. Obviously many households will welcome green bins for garden waste.

The present system works very well, especially in conjunction with the waste skips on the industrial estate.

Is it expecting too much of those who are promoting this scheme to come up with a solution which would leave the present system in place while making green bins available to those who can use them?

Has anyone seen a figure for the cost of this programme.

B P M McLOUGHLIN

Levenside,

Stokesley.

Open gardens

Sir, - Thank you for publishing the short report about the Carperby open gardens day.

On behalf of the village hall committee I would like to thank all those who supported the event. The money raised - £1,831 - will go towards the construction of toilets for the disabled in the village hall.

COLIN JACKSON

Carperby

Sir, - In response to the letter "Disappointing race" (D&S July 16), I was disgusted to read the comments of Margaret Land.

As the start marshal for the last 17 years to the Lyke Wake Race, I have never had a bad report from any of the competitors. They have always congratulated us on the way it has been run. Clearly she and her party have not read their copy of the letter they received with their start details.

It clearly stated that the race is run on a time of 12 hours, eg "if any competitors are looking doubtful about doing this, the marshals, will, at their discretion, ask you to retire and to hand your race tally card in. If you insist on continuing, you do so at your own risk due to your irresponsible attitude. All competitors must finish before 17.00 hours unless agreed with race marshals".

It also states that anyone retiring from the race can request transport to the finish at Ravenscar. As they had given their race cards in at checkpoint six, Ellerbeck, they were no longer in the race. If they then continued, they did so at their own discretion, and were no longer part of the race. Therefore not under our responsibility.

Did they really expect someone to sit at the finish waiting for them at 19.00 hours when they were no longer in the race?

No-one else has ever had this problem. As start marshal and recovery driver for retired and injured runners, my day starts at 3.30am at Sheep Wash car park, where all competitors are accounted for at checkpoint one. I then proceed to checkpoint three, where again I stay until all competitors are accounted for. This is normally where we start getting people injured or retiring and needing transport to the finish. I have then to go to checkpoint six and repeat my recoveries until all runners are accounted for. I then return to the finish, usually at about 4.45pm, so my total day is about 14 hours long.

All I would like to say is, in future Margaret Land and her friends must read the rules more carefully and plan their day and back-up team carefully. Here's to a great organised race with the help of Raynet Radio Cars. Next year's date is July 9.

K L METCALFE

Lyke Wake Race start marshall,

Nunnington,

York

Race rebuke

Sir, - I write with reference to the Lyke Wake Race and Margaret Land's letter published last Friday.

It is "thanks" to Margaret Land spotting an advert in her local paper, encouraging walkers and runners to participate this year, that I and other friends rallied to support this Yorkshire event.

I concur with the points raised by Margaret Land. Though I enjoyed the walk, the scenery and indeed the challenge of completing it in very poor conditions underfoot, I was disappointed with the standard of race organisation.

I have completed many arduous fell running and walking events of this type and have always admired the strong sense of duty of the organisers particularly with regards to safety aspects.

I specifically asked the race official who removed our race cards at the penultimate checkpoint if we were required to book in at the final checkpoint. He replied "yes, for safety reasons". Upon arrival at the final checkpoint, the marshals were disengaged, disinterested and showed no concern whatsoever for our safety or welfare (by this stage we had covered about 40 of the 42 miles).

Had we not pro-actively located the marshals at the checkpoint they would never have known that we had passed through! Indeed had we taken a wrong turn and then incurred an injury, the organisers would simply never have known.

It was also difficult not to notice how many of the participants were inadequately dressed and kitted out. The weather was not good and if someone wearing a cotton t-shirt and carrying no spare kit had fallen somewhere between checkpoints they could have been in serious trouble. I am simply amazed that there was no kit check and no thorough accounting of competitors.

Walking 42 miles from 4am in the morning is no mean feat and I take my hat off to absolutely everyone who completes it. A simple word of congratulations and a hot drink at the end is the very least that I expected from such an established and major Yorkshire event - even if outside the 12 hour race cut-off time.

Given that we as a group had rallied hard among family and friends to support this event following the request for more participants, it does beg the question as to whether there is some correlation between the diminishing race numbers and the standard of race organisation.

As sponsors of this event, I do feel that the D&S has been badly represented and I sincerely hope that matters are significantly improved for next year.

CHRISTINE HALL

Bridge Avenue,

Otley.

Our wonderful van

Sir, - I would like to say a very big thank you to North Yorkshire County Council for ensuring that our mobile library visits have continued this year on route seven.

We would be lost without the appearance of the lilac and white van appearing over the brow of the Clack Bank and into Osmotherley.

The horn announces the arrival and many of the residents arrive with armfuls of books ready to choose a new selection. The driver and staff assist in all manner of ways; nothing is too much trouble.

There are brightly-coloured children's books, books with big print - much sought after by elderly readers - and a selection of videos to choose from, as well as a large, well-informed choice of biography and fiction, which is always up to date and changed regularly.

If a particular item is required it will be sought out and brought on the next visit. If a visit is to be missed, all the regular users are informed of the change of date. It is true, I'm sure, that there is enormous pleasure to be derived from simple pastimes.

We would be grateful if, through the medium of the D&S, we could voice our appreciation for a much-valued service in these stringent times and to all who have a part in administering that service.

TERIE HIGGS

North End,

Osmotherley.