BIRTH OF THE RAILWAYS

THE headline "Leisure scheme steams into rail controversy" (Echo, Nov 20) told of the proposal to rejuvenate the former National Garden Festival site in Gateshead so that it features a railway heritage and education centre. This should be welcomed by all in the North-East.

The campaigners in Darlington who are determined to bring a railway heritage centre to the town, who claim that Darlington was the birthplace of the railways, should, I would suggest, read the history books. They will find that the first passenger railway in 1825 ran between Stockton and Darlington.

Stockton-on-Tees was the birthplace of the railways, not Darlington, Gateshead or Shildon.

Where the railway heritage centre finally goes does not matter. I personally would like it in Stockton, but this is out of the question.

The main bone of contention is that Stockton is the birthplace of the railways and Darlington should never forget this fact.- Coun Stephen Smailes, Stockton Borough Council.

DURHAM CCC

I WISH to congratulate Durham County Cricket Club on attaining Test status for its ground at Chester-le-Street (Echo, Nov 15).

It must have taken a lot of hard work by everyone to make the Riverside the first new Test ground in this country for 99 years.

Obviously, the cricket authorities must have been very impressed with the way Durham handled the international one-day matches during the past two seasons, and with the excellent facilities and picturesque aspect of the ground.

Durham County Cricket Club has come a long way in the ten years that it has been a first-class county and now the future looks really bright, what with Test status and also the young players who are now starting to come through the ranks. - Stephen Briggs, Bishop Auckland.

SCHOOL SPORTS

SCHOOL sports facilities across the North-East are to be given a radical facelift with Lottery cash (Echo, Nov 19). I understood when the Lottery was introduced by the Conservative government, that the money would not be used to replace shortfalls of cash that normally come from the rates. But now a "New Opportunities Fund" has now been created to get over this.

For instance, Reid Street School in Darlington currently has no playing fields. A new school and playing fields scheme in Brinkburn Road has been shelved, and selling off the land for new housing is the latest rumour. Coupled with the new housing in West Auckland Road, this will create an enormous problem in the future with a lack of school facilities.

Darlington Council should provide the money for the new school and necessary playing fields. The Memorial Hospital would then benefit from the land left by the old, pre-war school. - F Beadle, Darlington.

I HAVE only recently heard of the problems being placed in front of Bishop Auckland Football Club by the people "serving the community", Wear Valley District Council (Echo, Nov 5).

A few years ago the council spent thousands of pounds on a feasibility study to bring an all-round winter sports village to the Dales. This was laughed at by many people and so a dry ski slope was eventually built at Willington. This closed earlier this year, along with many other cutbacks in leisure facilities, due to lack of revenue and finance.

After years of planning and forethought, Bishop Auckland Football Club has decided to move to a new ground with facilities to help people from all levels progress at different sports at what would probably in the future be a "centre of excellence".

But the council seems to be applying for the same funding to build similar facilities at Bishop Auckland College. Football facilities at the college are already under-used, yet Wear Valley can now find the money to compete against a very hard-working team which has maintained football from grassroots level for many years on a voluntary level.

Surely, the council should join the football club and provide one well-equipped facility. The council should be helping the community, not fighting against it. - Captain D Wallis, Bishop Auckland.

Richmond CO-OP

SOME councillors are complaining about the advertising banners put up by the Co-op on Friary Fields, Richmond (Echo, Nov 17). But why are other people and organisations allowed to leave theirs up if the Co-op's are so wrong? The Co-op provides an excellent free delivery service and I and many of my mainly elderly friends are only too thankful for it. Please leave the Co-op alone. It is rare nowadays to get anything free. - H Lee, Richmond.

WITCHCRAFT IN 1316, Pope John XXII defined a witch to be anyone whose beliefs were contrary to the doctrines of Rome.

If you believe the world is round; that racism, slavery and all forms of genocide are wrong; that other races, creeds, colours, religions and cultures are as valid as your own; that disease, disability and mental illness are not the result of demonic possession; that women have souls and are the equal of men, then you are a witch. These beliefs were considered heresy by the Christian Church.

When you point an accusing finger, three fingers point back at you. So when G Pentelow (HAS, Nov 12) tries to promote one belief system at the expense of another, fairness demands that we be reminded that non-Christians believe as deeply in their religion as any devoted Christian. Equally, G Pentelow should remember that any modern witch could look at the Christian Church, its involvement in slavery, numerous acts of cultural, religious, racial oppression, intolerance and genocide and declare Christianity to be an evil religion. - CT Riley, Spennymoor.

PAGANISM

THE letters about paganism and the crucified swan (HAS, Nov 16) may be correct in talking about the majority who practice paganism, but there are others with a completely different view of what paganism is all about.

The slaughter of the swan was a disgrace and no excuse can be accepted for it.

The fact that paganism is basically connected to the agricultural calendar is unfortunately being used to suggest it is an ignorant, primitive religion.

If the slaughter was because of ignorance, then society has a responsibility to make those who commit such acts pay a heavy price.

They say ignorance is bliss, but it is also responsible for extreme wickedness. - Jim Young, Crook.

1960s POPSTARS

MICK Jagger wants to become a knight. I think it was Winston Churchill who said: "The young Radical becomes the old Conservative".

The Rolling Stones were young men who went around the world with their screaming vehemence, murdering melody, and encouraging the youth of the world to rebel against the status quo and "the Establishment".

Now, in their approaching old age, they want stately homes, membership of the MCC, and knighthoods - the very things they rebelled against!

Billy Connolly first appeared on the Parkinson Show as a man deriding the traditional Scot, and the "wee hoose amang the heather". Now he has a Highland castle and wears the kilt. He's a true laird, inviting important people to his estate.

The Beatles state that all you need is love, but they hang on to their millions of dollars, just in case!

They were all a bunch of phoney rebels. And the kids swallowed it wholesale.

I prefer real rebels like Bagwhan Rajneesh, or Nye Bevan, or Manny Shinwell, who made the world a better place.

When Oasis can learn to read and write, I suppose they will be applying for a knighthood. - J Ross, Rowlands Gill, Tyne and Wear