BLACK & Decker is making redundancies, causing a lot of unemployment.

It is opening up in Eastern Europe where people will be glad to work for less money. Prudential is transferring their call centre to India, to reduce costs. Nobody begrudges an Indian a livelihood, but isn't this what we call capitalism?

Mills in Bradford and Burnley closed down and opened up in Indonesia with cheaper labour. Riots ensued because of unemployment in our Northern towns. Isn't this what people describe as globalisation?

They sell their products back to us in the West at great profit. I believe big bankers and industrialists run the world. They are even above governments. They can break countries like Argentina, issuing loans that countries find difficult to repay.

I used to wonder what people were doing massing on the street where the world's big-wigs were meeting. They were protesting against globalisation. Is this what globalisation means? - Jim Ross, Rowlands Gill.

AS Black & Decker and Wolsingham people come to terms with the job losses, it is a devastation to both communities.

Such a company called Eastwood Industries promised to expand markets and move into new technology, but last Thursday, 54 workers were made redundant, no pay to take home, no holiday or redundancy pay. Is this what you get for being a loyal workforce? This would not happen if this was in Europe. It is now time that MPs, Government and unions sat down together to stop this happening. Some type of Bill should go through Parliament to stop multi-national companies from pulling out of these communities.

Both communities face a very bleak future. They are both crying out for inward investment. That's the only way forward. If not, they will end up as ghost towns. - DT Murray, Coxhoe.

I REFER to your article about the future of the community centre in Middleton St George (Echo, Oct 2).

I consider the reported comments from community association chairman Mike Latter to be an unfortunate and ill-conceived attempt to put pressure onto the parish council.

I can assure Mr Latter that the parish council understands the value of a community centre to the village and that a team effort is required to keep it open. The subject will be discussed fully, fairly and openly at our next meeting.

In the meantime, should he feel the need to make comments on the precarious position of the centre, perhaps he should direct them to Darlington Borough Council who withdrew its grant in the first place. - Councillor Brian Jones, Chairman, Middleton St George Parish Council.

BRITAIN IN BLOOM

I WRITE to thank those who supported Saltburn in Bloom and to let you know the results of both the Northumbria in Bloom and Britain in Bloom competitions.

The results for both competitions were recently announced. In the Northumbria in Bloom competition we were runner-up, and came second to the winner, losing by just one point, in the category Best Seaside Town. We were also runner-up in the Railway Station section of the competition.

In Britain in Bloom, we were awarded the Silver Gilt Award as runner-up in the Best Coastal Town Award with a population under 20,000. We were also winner of the Royal Horticultural Society's Best People Participation Award.

Yet again Saltburn's achievements have been considerable and could not have been made without the help and support of individuals and organisations in the local community. - Jackie Taylor, Co-ordinator Saltburn in Bloom.

MIDDLE EAST

IF the West is to deal with the problem of Saddam Hussein effectively and permanently, it must do so not only with the authority of the UN, but also with the support of the majority of Arabs and Muslims.

To that end, it must demonstrate that it is not intent on global military supremacy and will never again support tyranny or sabotage democracy in order to safeguard supplies of cheap oil.

This would require an end to the development of space-based weapons and some serious moves towards ridding the world of all weapons of mass destruction, not just Iraq's.

Most importantly, the West must show that it can apply the principles of justice and human rights impartially and universally. If there is to be a tough new UN resolution on Iraq, there must also be a tough new resolution reaffirming Israel's right to a secure future, but also compelling Israel to respect the rights of Palestinians to an autonomous and viable state of their own. - Pete Winstanley, Durham.

DOWDING'S FEW

Can I belatedly echo the sentiments of EA Moralee (Echo, Sept 28) in her praise of Dowding's Few? Sadly, The Few are becoming fewer almost by the day and it is right that we remember their efforts of the summer of 1940. Time is against them as it was in 1940, but sadly, now they cannot be as immortal as they once seemed.

Can I urge those with wartime memories of whatever service or civilian occupation, to record those memories, if not for some official archive, then for your own family histories. Your can write them or use video or sound recording, involve your family, but please do it before it is too late. Everyone has a story to tell.

It was sad to note that this year, for the first time since its inception, there was no Battle of Britain parade in Middlesbrough. It was good to see that the local Air Cadet squadron did not forget the occasion and crossed the Tees to join with their neighbouring squadron in Stockton where a large and smart turnout paraded down the High Street. - David Thompson, Eaglescliffe.