30/04/04

New Labour is the biggest disaster to people who love their country and our way of life just caused by a disaster with his total obsession with being a big shot in Europe, against 90 per cent of our people who want no part of a European takeover of our country. - F Wealand, Darlington.

HOTSPUR AWARD

THE Northumbrian Association is seeking nominations for the Hotspur Award.

This silver spur is based on the famous Charlton Spur of North Tynedale and carries the name of one of the region's most famous sons, Harry Hotspur.

The award is made annually to a living personality, who, "through bold endeavour" has brought credit to the North-East.

Last year, awards were made to Brendan Foster (right), international athlete and founder of the Great North Run, and Neil Rami, who has done so much of the planning for the exciting Newcastle/Gateshead initiatives of the next five years.

Any one of last year's nominees would have been a worthy winner and their names will go forward automatically for this year's judging. The judges have a hard job, as there are many ways in which individuals make their contribution.

Among the great strengths of our region are the resilience, talent and character of its people. Help us to celebrate these with our own award which is genuinely from the people to someone who inspires or serves us today.

You may nominate whoever you wish, just write the name of the person you propose and a sentence or so, as to why they deserve the award. It would be helpful if you also included your own name and address, as a prize will be awarded to one of the proposers of the successful nomination. Send it to: The Northumbrian Association, PO Box 78, Hexham, Northumberland. - Mike Tickell, Chairman, Northumbrian Association.

COMMUNITY ALARM

ON behalf of the trustees of the Durham Community Alarm Trust, I would like to place on record appreciation for all the goodwill and positive support which has been given to us during this particularly difficult period when Teesdale District Council withdrew its support.

We have been heartened by the generous degree of financial support we have received from several sources. We are delighted by the continued support we have received and, thankfully will continue to receive, both from the Primary Care Trust and Durham social services without whose help the trust would undoubtedly cease to exist.

And so we are able to look forward with confidence to serving the needs of the people in the Dales in future years.

In order to obviate any further confusion that has been shown in some quarters, the trustees have been in communication with the Charity Commissioners who have argued that, in future, the trust shall be known as the Dales Community Alarm Trust, with the subtitle, Serving Teesdale and Upper Weardale.

This reflects accurately the area we serve.

Finally, may I place on record our appreciation of the work that is done by our co-ordinators and volunteers, without whose care and devotion we would be unable to support the 400-plus vulnerable members of our own community, indeed providing a service with a very substantial value added component. - JA Moore, Community Alarm Trust, Barnard Castle.

ECHO WALKS

IT WAS while in Swaledale recently that my thoughts turned to the poetry of Robert Browning. In the poem Home Thoughts from Abroad, Browning described the delights of being in England when April time comes around. Well as I walked from Downholme Bridge back into Marske at the end of a six-mile walk, I could only reflect that Browning got it about right.

Yet this letter is not an appreciation of a 19th century poet, it is a thank-you letter to your walks correspondent in whose footsteps we trailed.

For is it Mark Reid who has been so important in helping us discover the northern landscapes.

I could mention many of his walks but for the purpose of this letter I will cite just one. This particular walk was published in March and took us high into the Hambleton hills overlooking the village of Kepwith. When we reached the Hambleton Way we felt we were on the root of the world looking for miles toward the west.

So thank you Mark Reid for all your good work. You provide, I'm sure, so many people with a window through which to view our unique landscape. - Derek Parker, Bishop Auckland.

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

I WOULD like the opportunity to heap praise on the Durham City Council, its planners and associates who were responsible for bringing to fruition the development aesthetics now showing at Highgate near the city centre.

The residential works are praiseworthy as a complementary and harmonious embrace of the character of the city and its surrounds. They already point to what will become seamless joints in complementary architecture of a quality feel.

Well done folks for a job which takes pride in your historical values and which will enhance future heritage.

I trust that what is good for Durham City will also hold good for the rest of Durham. - Clive S Simons, Bishop Auckland.

WAR

I WAS nine years old when the war started in 1939. Fortunately, the nearest bomb fell about half-a-mile away.

I am almost 75 now, and I did my two years in the RAF, but I am truly sick to death of the constant reminders on TV, particularly of the regular bombardment of war films

What is the purpose of this? Is it a conspiracy by the anti-European movement? But many European countries were our allies.

Could it be that our country, which has been involved in wars for centuries, is a war-like nation?

We are fed such a constant diet of death and destruction that we are becoming immune to the suffering of others.

Surely after 60 years we can be spared the constant barrage of war films.

Our future is irreversibly tied to Europe and we must resist those who wish to separate us from our allies.

It would be a total disaster to loosen our ties with the EU, and George Bush's latest humiliation of Mr Blair over Palestine and Israel is a grim reminder that the US will always put itself first. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.