Hear All Sides: BENNY YORKE

All the people who knew Benny Yorke, the Man of a Thousand Voices, knew he was very partial to the odd double vodka and lemonade, to say the least. However, to claim that Benny's career was ruined by drink and drugs is wrong. He in no way endorsed the taking of hard drugs, such as heroin or cocaine. If the truth be known, he was very anti-hard drugs although I must admit he was rather fond of the odd jazz cigarette - in light of recent changes in Government policy on cannabis, perhaps this is no great crime.

I agree that he was a genius in a league of his own. I would like to thank the people of the North-East who frequently travelled to see Benny at their local clubs and further afield.

Finally, I would like to say that the good times more than outweighed the bad and hopefully that's what people will remember. - Gerald Ward, Spennymoor.

THE NORTHERN ECHO

I'VE had no Northern Echo for the last three weeks. I have had the New York Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune. Am I glad to be back? You bet.

Compared to the Echo, the other three had layouts that were cluttered and suffered from chaotic headlines. Even the paper and print qualities were poorer.

The news in the American papers was as broad as in the Echo but so dull to read. My respect for the skills of the Echo's journalists is even higher than it was.

The only good thing that the US papers have which the Echo lacks is a regular space for factual corrections. Perhaps the American reporters just get a lot more things wrong? - Stuart Hill, Darlington.

INTERNET

FOLLOWING your article of July 18, "Demand for rural internet service", your readers may wish to note that on July 1, BT paved the way for the widest possible availability of broadband services by introducing an order registration system. It gives Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the public a direct say in the roll-out plans for the company's ADSL broadband service.

While the Country Land and Business Association's petition can be accessed online, BT would urge both consumers and businesses to register their interest in ordering broadband services through their ISP.

The registration system enables customers to see the 'trigger point' - where this has been set - at which their local exchange will be upgraded and to view the number of end-users already interested. The scheme enables BT to commit resources precisely where demand levels make commercial sense.

Registration does not guarantee future ADSL service, as target levels of demand need to be reached and individual customer's lines would be subject to line survey and distance constraints on ADSL availability. The current availability checker for ADSL and a full list of ADSL service providers can be found at www.bt.com/broadband. - Paul Dorrell, BT Media Relations Manager.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY

DURHAM County Council Chief Executive Kingsley Smith is too concerned about where a future directly-elected regional assembly for the North-East may be located. (Echo, July 19).

There are plenty of existing town halls and other buildings in the region where the assembly could meet. Many of us who support an elected regional assembly believe that it should meet at different places throughout the region. This would give local people the opportunity to attend and participate.

Of course, the assembly will need a base for its staff. Again, an existing building with ready access by public transport anywhere in the region could be used.

I oppose at all costs repeating the mistake that has been made by the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. The biggest single factor causing criticism of these new bodies has been their decision to build huge and expensive new headquarters.

I am totally opposed to a future North-East assembly commissioning an expensive and unnecessary new building. We could also save money by reducing the vast numbers of unelected politicians appointed by Government on the 100-plus quangos which run the North-East at present. - Coun Chris Foote-Wood, President, Northern Region Liberal Democrats.

MUSIC

CHRIS Wardell's appraisal of the music scene in Darlington is spot-on (HAS, July 22), especially in relation to The Arts Centre.

I, along with my colleague, Nigel Herring, (both local businessmen and ratepayers) feel we have been blocked at every juncture in trying to book the theatre in the Arts Centre, for a Darlington band, Last Chance Texaco.

We have been told we are not "appropriate" for the theatre - even though no one has heard us and we are prepared to pay the going rate for the theatre's hire.

Although we were offered an alternative, it is no wonder that we can't attract decent acts. - Mark Horner, Darlington.

POLITICS

WHILE we citizens view the stock market with alarm and see our savings and future pensions dwindle on a daily basis, do our Parliamentary representatives offer solutions?

Do they challenge employers who, in the good times, took "pension holidays" and when times look bad will reduce the potential benefits to their employees' pension funds? Do they table legislation to compel companies to make proper provision for their workers' retirement?

They do none of these things, but what they do is enhance the terms of their own pensions at the taxpayers' expense and keep their noses firmly in the trough.

No wonder people do not turn out for elections. - Chris Greenwell, Aycliffe Village.