09/01/04

Viewers of soaps were treated to car crashes, death and some of their best-loved characters hospitalised in festive bloodbaths. This on top of the usual diet of misery and dysfunction that the soaps offer as their version of real life.

In the world of pop, the top spot was occupied by a macabre ghoul who sang a downbeat lament which included the none too merry line: "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had".

Exposure to such gloomy entertainment must surely take its toll and rub off on the populace.

I recommend that Ken Dodd (pictured) re-releases his song Happiness and that TV chiefs bring back and give a prime slot to The Comedians as an antidote to such morbidity.

The problem for the soaps is that they are on too many nights a week and good plots are as thin as Ethiopian soup.

In effect, interesting storylines are lost to cheap sensationalism. - Trevor Agnew, Darlington.

TERRORISM

YOUR Comment (Echo, Jan 3) about terrorism suggests that it is unfortunate, inconvenient, irritating, but not the end of the world.

The problem has more to do with a failure of many in this country and other countries to make the lives of these terrorist cells impossible and to nip them in the bud.

The atrocity of September 11 was a complete failure by the security services and various governments to take the threat seriously and the people involved in this atrocity were using this country and other European countries to plan and provide the necessary materials to carry out their evil.

While the cliche 'it is not the end of the world' means very little to the victims and their families, the fact that such evil can infiltrate our society at will is very worrying. Those who spout their waffle about human rights and condoning causes that have no right to threaten the existence of society, must be considered patronising. - John Young, Crook.

DARLINGTON FC

I THINK the best thing to do with Darlington Football Club is to close it down.

To run a football club you need people in the ground. I think they are called supporters, which Darlington lacks and it has been obvious for a very long time the people of Darlington just do not want a football club, so get rid of it.

After all the money Mr Reynolds spent saving Darlington I think he has been very badly treated. Even the council has always been against him, so let the council sort it out. - W Lane, Ferryhill.

TONY BLAIR

OF course Mr Blair has put his foot in it again letting his tongue run away with him as the Comment kindly phrases it (Echo, Dec 29).

Talk about crying wolf. We have become so used to spin and half truths it is hard to believe much the Government and Mr Blair in particular say.

The scare tactics of the 45 minutes threat from Iraq caused many to back Mr Blair in sending our troops to war. Now that has proved to be more lies, spin, exaggeration, run away tongue, call it what you will, far fewer people are inclined to believe what the Prime Minister says.

I am sure Mr Blair believes he is right, but he does need to listen to and see other points of view.

Past experience has shown, to this country's cost, that despite many advising, even pleading with him to do otherwise, he has forced his own will through on many matters.

Let us hope that the first New Year's resolution on Mr Blair's list is to become a servant to the nation and not the dictator he has proved to be in 2003. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

BOXING DAY DIP

MIDDLESBROUGH Teesside Lions would like to thank everyone who made the Boxing Day dip another resounding success.

This year, thank goodness, the rain held off, although it was extremely cold. Those dippers who braved the elements to raise money for their chosen charity are to be commended, as well as all those who volunteers to help out, not forgetting Leos nightclub in Redcar, who yet again opened their doors to provide a warm, dry place for the dippers to change.

See you again next year. - Dianne James, on behalf of Middlesbrough Teesside Lions.

CHRISTMAS APPEAL

THE Saltburn 500 Club would like to thank everyone who contributed in any way towards the Christmas lights appeal, everyone who helped prepare and store away the lights and all who helped with the fund-raising; the Christmas raffle raised £541.

Thank you to the parish council for the town Christmas tree and \'a3400 towards entertainment, and to Councillor Barbara Harphan for organising the small Christmas trees for businesses.

Thank you to Redcar and Cleveland Community Grant Fund, Sembcorp Utilities, Brown Beer and Co, Huntsman, Norman Eaves MBE and other town groups and individuals, also NEDL for its help,.

On behalf of Saltburn, thank you, without all this help we would not have Christmas lights in Saltburn. - J Taylor, Saltburn-by-the-Sea.

IMMIGRATION

I JUST want to make a point regarding the thousands of immigrants being let into our small island and the thousands of illegal immigrants that our Home Secretary, David Blunkett, has no idea how many are coming in every day.

These people have to be fed and housed and paid for. Millions of pounds are being spent by New Labour, plus thousands of acres of our beautiful countryside will have to go to house these people.

We are heading for a big fall in jobs in the very near future in major industries. You can see the people that own the banks and insurance companies who are unloading jobs to other countries because we are pricing them out of making profits with regulations and taxes that are stifling a lot of big firms in this once great country.

Now I see that New Labour wants to interfere with milk lads and lasses plus paper boys' earnings. A bit of pocket money. Why? Can't they see that it will be the end of milk delivered to your door and your papers delivered. How low can this Labour lot get?

People are fair minded, but they can also see the folly of mass immigration and the consequences it will incur. - F Wealand, Darlington.