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EUTHANASIA

DIANE Pretty is an inspiration to us all (Echo, Aug 21).

The mother-of-two has been diagnosed with one of the worst chronic diseases known to mankind and her life must be an absolute living hell.

Diane's determination - with the help of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society and civil rights group Liberty - to be able to choose when to die is wonderful. - Aled Jones, Bridlington.

SNAP HAPPY

LAST Saturday, August 18, our daughter was married at the register office in Darlington. Photographs after the ceremony were all taken in the park behind the office by those present, until of course, it came to the one at the end to show us all. No problem, a young lady passerby was asked if she could help.

She turned out to be one of the stars of the day, got us all into shot and then, with no prompting or fumbling, shot probably ten shots with different cameras, smiling all the time.

Whoever you are, thank you from us all, but chiefly from the father of the bride. - Dennis Clark, Billingham.

MINERS

I AM writing in support of the letter (HAS, Aug 20) from Jimmy Taylor. He might have added the majority of men awaiting compensation for industrial diseases will be in the 60-80 years group which, at the outbreak of war, like myself, were asked to decide which of the three services they preferred if needed for call-up.

However, as mining was such an attractive job, thousands of miners were joining voluntarily so the government passed the Essential Works Order (EWO) which ring-fenced the industry, resulting in miners, particularly producers and other skilled men, from leaving the industry.

In essence, they were conscripted twice, to the forces if required, to the pits if not required.

He could also have stated that after decades of fighting for shorter working hours, following nationalisation in 1947, the national five-day week agreement was agreed, but the ink was hardly dry when, because of one of the severest winters on record and coal stocks at their lowest, Manny Shinwell, Minister of Fuel and Power, asked miners to suspend the agreement and to work additional shifts at the weekends with which they complied.

These are also the men who, prior to 1938 when begrudgingly given three days, never received any holidays with pay.

Finally, these are men who never had a pension or superannuation scheme until 1952 when a pension scheme was introduced whereby, for a weekly deduction from their wages and providing they had sufficient credits approximating to 40 plus years service in the industry, they would qualify for ten shillings a week pension.

Miners with only a few working years left before retirement would only receive the ten shillings (50p) pension if the collieries obtained as near 100 per cent membership as possible. - TH Conley, Ferryhill.

MINE FLOODING

IN reply to Martin Jones (HAS, Aug 21) about rainwater, I say it would be better to stop pumping and let the water rise so as to fill the old top seams working where there is the soft rocks.

Hutton Blue, Segar and other soft shale would be formed into a running clay which will be pressed in all the mine workings by roof pressure to seal the pits and force the water to run underground to the sea as it did before the pits were sunk.

The water at Bishop Middleham has not risen, the ground has sunk. - Stanley Bowden, West Cornforth.

LUNG CANCER

EARLIER this year I was devastated by the loss of my husband, Michael Williams, from lung cancer. Nearly 40,000 people are affected by this dreadful disease each year in the UK and it is a very distressing time for them and their loved ones.

During Michael's illness I was highly appreciative of the care and support that he received from devoted professionals, most specialising in the lung cancer field. However, the general level of care available to lung cancer sufferers in the UK still falls way below that experienced for other cancers, as there are comparatively so few specialist lung cancer nurses to help them cope.

The Roy Castle Foundation has launched a Lung Cancer Nurse Appeal to help redress the balance. These specialist nurses provide practical support, comfort and quality of life to both patient and relatives as they come to terms with the effects of the disease.

The Foundation appointed the first specialist lung cancer support nurse in 1992 and currently funds five of the 180 trained lung cancer nurses working in the UK.

I urge you to make a donation to the Foundation's nurse appeal, which will give hope and comfort to the 40,000 new sufferers diagnosed each year. In return, the Foundation, of which I am now a patron, will seek to provide a level of service that is second to none.

Please ring to make a donation on (0151) 794 8800 or log on to our website at www.roycastle.org - Dame Judi Dench.