Hear all sides: Queen Mother

Anything worth doing is worth doing well, is a saying that used to be common.

To do something well does involve long hours of preparation, practice, strict rules to get it just right and a great deal of perseverance and determination. Sadly such qualities are rarely found in today's "get it done quickly and nobody will notice the faults" society.

It's time there was a return to "only the very best will do", instead of cutting corners in the false belief that it doesn't really matter as long as we've made it look reasonably good.

The discipline and immaculate performance of all involved in the ceremonies of April 9 demonstrated to the world the qualities of character our country is capable of producing. They should not be reserved only for such occasions but should be part of our everyday standards and way of life. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

I APPLAUD The Northern Echo for publishing Harry Mead's remarks regarding the passing of the Queen Mother.

Harry constantly uses his column to air his feelings in regards to families grieving the world over in various countries suffering crackpot regimes. Seems fair enough.

However, Harry could not bring himself to afford the same comfort to our own Royal Family, who had lost their eldest member. A lady whose brother died in the trenches, a family who refused to move during the Blitz and grandsons who proudly served their country.

Proof for all to see, that Harry, far from being this caring man, is the same as other politically-motivated lefties. His remarks amounted to gutter level sarcasm, tinged with a deep-rooted hatred of anyone with more than me. He and others despise the traditional values of Britain.

This week proved that there is room in a modern Britain for the Royal Family. They can live alongside a society, which has on the whole moved towards merit-based promotion.

The Royal Family does more good for Britain than the politicians could ever wish to.

With a little thought, Britain can be great, as well as caring and merit based.

I think its called tolerance, Harry. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland.

I AGREE that the eulogising of the Queen Mother went on far too long.

Actually, our Royals' principal claim isn't to superior intelligence, that is to all her subjects; superior culture is more like it, itself mainly to do with being reared in the right sort of environment, and wouldn't all of us have benefited from an aristocratic rearing?

Among my own heroes are Bertrand Russell and George Bernard Shaw. Why? Great writers these two chaps manifestly were. And isn't serious writing the true measure of anybody's intellect?

Let, say Prince Charles, shine in the field of serious literature. And then I would think more of him than I currently do, that is that he seems like a very nice chap.

Great writers are a sight more than this. They are in fact gifted mortals. - Alfred H Lister, Guisborough.

SONG BIRDS

ONCE again we have an account of the demise of our song birds in The Northern Echo column: 43 per cent blue tits, 34 per cent green linnets, 32 per cent blackbirds, etc.

The RSPB and others in power will not admit that the wily sparrowhawk is mainly responsible for this loss. They blame farmers and the latest one is now caterpillars.

In 1993, the British Trust for Ornithology published that there were about 43,000 pairs of sparrowhawks in Great Britain, which, by 2002, must have at least trebled.

If a pair of hawks kills six blue tits (and they do, they need to) per day that is almost 2,200 in one year, four green finches or chaffies about 1,500 give or take one or two, two blackbirds or thrushes, 730. Apart from the killings, these birds at this time of year would have youngsters in their nests which will die, also eggs go rotten.

When a small bird is torn to pieces by a hawk it is akin to a fox being killed by hounds, only the process lasts longer.

The next time you see a hawk feeding its young with a small songbird, think what the babies of the small bird are doing? Volunteer ringers look out for the dead carcasses and eggs for your reports.

I am not a scientist, but I was taught to count a long time ago.

The relevant authorities should by now realise some birds will have to be controlled to avoid the extinction of others.

How do I know? I see it happen every year. - Aubrey Adamson, Malton.

COUNCIL FINANCES

I WONDER how many of your readers actually read the paper work/forms which arrive with the council tax forms?

I read mine the other week and paid great interest in the North Yorkshire Police Authority's information sheet.

According to them, "they and the Chief Constable" have decided that the council tax payers of North Yorkshire will have to pay more this year.

What will we get for our extra £2.8m? Will we see officers out on the beat (doubtful), will we see more crime being detected (doubtful), will we see less street crime and vandalism (doubtful), will the older people in our communities feel safer at night (doubtful), could it be that the criminals in our midst will become more fearful of being caught red-handed committing crimes (extremely doubtful)?

So how will the community benefit from having to pay out more money, which was decided on by a group of unelected officials?

It seems to me that the only two things which rise every year is the money we have to pay out and the number of police officers retiring on the sick. - P Weaver, Sowerby, Thirsk.