Sir, - I am grateful to Coun Fort for his prompt reply (D&S, Jan 2) to my letter about bus services in the Northallerton and Osmotherley area (D&S, Dec 26). Unfortunately, Coun. Fort seems to emphasise the attributes of the buses themselves, not the adequacy of bus passenger waiting facilities.

1, Not only is the bus shelter outside the Buck Inn, Northallerton smaller in every dimension than the original bus station, but its construction offers considerably less protection to inclement weather than the larger structure it is supposed to replace.

By any stretch of the imagination, how can this bus shelter be considered "adequate protection" against inclement weather, and satisfactory for the needs of existing passengers as well as coach tourists visiting this county town of North Yorkshire? Could Coun Fort explain?

2, The original bus station having been sold off "almost 20 years ago" (but apparently without council involvement), why did it take the council so long to provide this modest bus shelter outside the Buck Inn? Again, could Coun Fort explain? And in what sort of "consultation with local people"did the council engage prior to erecting this modern structure?

In this connection, is Coun Fort himself a regular bus-user, one wonders, to consider this modern structure adequate protection against bad weather? Few of the bus passengers I have spoken to consider it adequate, especially because some passengers must wait there for certain infrequent services.

3, As regards the need for a further bus shelter at the West End of Osmotherley, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. If Coun Fort and his fellow councillors are so convinced about the "quality" of bus services in this area, why won't they accept my challenge to travel by bus on this particular route for a few months?

Let Coun Fort and some of his colleagues stand at the West End of Osmotherley for a few minutes in the teeth of a gale over a period of several weeks, or gather under the rain dropping from the roof of the bus shelter outside the Buck Inn - and see how they like it!

STUART ROBINSON

Osmotherley.

Service need

Sir, - I refer to County Coun John Fort's letter (D&S Jan 2) regarding buses and bus shelters.

It is easy to give the impression, through your column, that all is well, but I would like to remind County Coun Fort of the large petition submitted by residents of the area of St James Drive, Crestbrooke and the adjacent streets, for the provision of some bus service for those unable to walk to town and back, through age or illness.

In spite of the petition submitted through our district councillor, nothing more has been heard of our efforts.

Perhaps instead of boasting about bus shelters and easy access buses he might give consideration to providing a bus service for some of his ratepayers.

JOHN F WALKER

St James Drive,

Northallerton.

Shelter work

Sir, - In reply to Stuart Robinson (D&S, Dec 26 ) I whole-heartedly agree with his comments on the need for bus shelters in Northallerton. Osmotherley Parish Council has requested such several times over the past few years.

The shelter in Ellerbeck to which he refers was, in fact, erected at public expense by the parish council principally at the request of parents of young children who daily waited for school busses on a cold and draughty main road.

The parish council was assisted by the highways authority (North Yorkshire County Council) which at the same time installed a small lay-by to allow buses to stop off the carriageway safely and by a villager who allowed use of a small area of his land on which to site the shelter as the road verge was too narrow to allow it to be built there.

The parish council is also supportive of the need for a shelter on the western approaches to Osmotherley, again in response to public requests on behalf of the mainly elderly residents at nearby Oswaldene.

The council is currently pursuing enquiries with North Yorkshire County Council and other agencies to investigate the practicalities of siting and funding of a shelter in this area.

As with Ellerbeck it will need a multi-agency approach and may take a little time to achieve and is unlikely to be in place for this winter. But let's hope we can achieve it in good time for the next one.

Coun ALAN TURNER

Vice Chairman, Osmotherley Area Parish Council

Winton,

Northallerton.

Great by rail

Sir, - Most comments about the railway industry tend to be critical and negative. It is pleasant therefore to be able to bring to your attention a satisfying experience which shows how good the service can be.

It occured when my wife and I visited Darlington station for the first time last week to pick up an elderly aunt who was breaking her journey between Durham and Liverpool in order to attend a funeral at Darlington crematorium.

My first call was at the ticket office where directions to the crematorium (not a frequent inquiry!) were willingly and courteously given, the next to the toilets which were clean and obviously regularly inspected.

Two visits to the station buffet with different staff on duty produced friendly and efficient service of good-quality food and drink, and finally when requesting help to get my aunt and her luggage back onto the train, nothing was too much trouble for the platform staff who found a seat for her.

All the staff that we saw were smartly turned out and a credit to their business - something which I very much appreciate after 30 years of business travel.

I would like to thank them for their attention, and I hope that other people will recognise their efforts to provide a high standard of service.

ALAN MORRELL

Owler Park Road,

Ilkley.

Pay later

Sir, - So the upper dales cannot find funding for a swimming pool (D&S, Dec 19).

Why worry? Let the parish council take a lead from Hutton Rudby Parish Council; borrow the money and let the residents pay the loan back through their parish precept. No need to ask the local residents what they think either!

Hutton Rudby Parish Council doesn't care what the people they "represent" think! The district council won't interfere as they "have no jurisdiction" over the parish councils.

Why stop there? Your village needs a new library, ice rink or multiplex cinema? Add the cost to the parish precept. It's so easy. Borrow now and don't pay back till 2028!

Dr CHRISTINE GILL

Trenholme Bar,

Northallerton.

Harry Smaith

Sir, - The family of Harry Smaith, from Thoralby, would like to thank those people who gave up their time to help find Mr Smaith after his disappearance from High Hall in Bainbridge on Tuesday . He was safely found five miles away.

Penny Ellis

Ambleside