Letters: Selling the district

This would help support fledgling business or inexperienced operators until they are up and running. Each business can still compete but it should be on quality of service and value for money. Too many compete by rubbishing the opposition or declaring ignorance when asked for an alternative.

Keep the visitors in the Dales, they are only here for a week or two, they don't know their way around. When asked for food after 2pm and you're shut, they could go for afternoon tea somewhere else, Bolton Castle maybe or for something more substantial, the carvery at the Black Bull at Reeth (even I don't know the full possibilities). When asked for a different kind of pub, the Victoria Arms at Worton or the King's Arms at Redmire if it's open.

We should be advertising the area not just locally but be taking it to every destination that planes from local airports fly to. When people have a good experience of the quality of services, and the excellence of our produce, then they'll take that impression back, thereby creating further markets for our produce not to mention local jobs. In this way we'll have not only have made best use of local assets but created a national one too.

We not only need every convenience to remain but to add to them as well, as it is there must be a shortage of accommodation in the area. Steve at the King's Arms said that if they'd been ready, they could have filled every room this summer.

I want to live in a lively and stimulating place not just a tidy and attractive one, dead from the neck up. We have other hidden assets, places like Redmire Falls, even if it is tempting to keep them to ourselves.

We have to share such places to keep the Dales alive. Leyburn and Hawes are fast becoming renowned, not just for cheese, the cinema or Cocketts cakes etc. We all know how often having gone to Darlington shopping only to find what we want in Leyburn. It's time to shout about what the area has and make our voices heard, keep the dales alive, put the Dales back on the map!

IAN M SPENSLEY

Redmire.

Landing rights

Sir, - On September 20 you reported on helicopter landings on the playing field at Middleton in Teesdale Primary School.

The report included the important-sounding phrase "designated landing pad". Whilst Durham County Council remains silent on what this means, the Civil Aviation Authority has been more forthcoming: it means no more than that the county council has given a simple permission which needs no planning permission. Permission is restricted to use for not more than 28 days a year, absolutely nothing else.

This simple arrangement seems a sensible way of enabling helicopters to carry out many of the tasks for which they are normally used. But since helicopters are noisy, highly manoeuvrable and pretty free to move about at low level near buildings, they can be intrusive.

The restricted landing rule is some protection but is open to obvious abuse. Teesdale's head of planning, Ken Hughes, has suggested concerned residents might care to monitor landings. My rough reckoning is that the present landing pad has clocked up half an annual allowance of landing days.

MICHAEL McKEON

Newtown,

Middleton in Teesdale.

Freedom Food available

Sir, - I am writing in reply to Patricia Ramsay (D&S letters, Nov 15) regarding the availability of RSPCA Freedom Food in her local area or supermarkets.

We produce RSPCA-accredited Freedom Food beef, pork and lamb here at Nether Hall Farm just outside Kirkby Lonsdale and we trade under the name Lune Valley Beef, Pork, Lamb. All our products are slaughtered and packaged by McIntyre Meats in Bainbridge and from there sent out freshly vacuum-sealed and chill-packed direct to our customers throughout Britain on a 24-hour service.

Many people have discovered that for traditional quality and full traceabilty not available in supermarkets (who would not consider hanging beef for three weeks ) direct mail order meat is a viable alternative.

It also helps us farmers gain some of the profit that the supermarkets have demanded over the years. You can order on line at www.rearednaturally.co.uk or contact us on 015242 73193 for a brochure.

DAVID KELLY

Nether Hall Farm,

Kirkby Lonsdale.

Sir, - I was astounded to read the comments in James Leigh's letter (D&S, Nov 8) regarding otter hunting.

The facts are that otter numbers had already crashed catastrophically before hunting stopped. That is why country people like myself protested so vigorously that hunts were continuing to disturb and chase - some times for long periods - this creature whose numbers were in serious decline.

Even in 1977, just before the otter was put on to the endangered species list, the Northern Counties persisted with their hunting and it was the last straw, or perhaps nearly the last otter on the Tees, when despite very low water they hunted that river.

How much better it would have been if we had had voluntary cessation of hunting before, not after, the otter numbers declined so drastically.

JEAN TAYLOR

Florida Hill,

Whinney Hill,

Stockton.

Wonderful team

Sir, - I wish to express my thanks and gratitude to our team of carers and district nurses in Bedale.

After a recent stroke, Mum came home to live with us. From the minute she came out of hospital "The Team" were here to meet her, and give her and us never-ending support. Nothing was too much trouble, they kept the whole family buoyant and positive.

Until you need these people you never really understand the extent of the work they do, it is much more than a job to them, it is true dedication. We are very fortunate to have such wonderful people in our community.

LORRAINE JENKINS

Oak Tree Drive

Bedale.

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