Shildon SHOW

YOUR article says (Echo, Aug 11) that Shildon Show was always held on the August 26 weekend. That is not so. My father, Walter Tillotson, was field manager for many years until we moved to Blackpool in 1928 and the show was always on the third Saturday in August irrespective of date. It was followed by Heighington Show on the fourth Saturday.

Messrs Bulch and Ramsden were the secretaries who were the only paid members of the show committee.

The field was prepared in three weeks, for which my father and his team were paid, and they were given two weeks to take it apart. All the wood for the tables in the marquee, the grandstand and ring, was stored in a huge hut which at that time was in the Rec, now Hackworth Park.

The price of a ticket was one shilling and threepence - the threepence part perforated and on sale of a ticket we had to stick a threepence tax stamp across the perforation.

The year livestock was introduced, the entrants came by rail to what is now the children's play area where a big marquee was erected for them. Messrs Walter and Walker always won the cavie section.

Show day was the day when everyone came to Shildon and many people worked freely for the love of the town. - Bertha Pallister, Shildon.

Darlington'S FLOWERS

I WOULD like to compliment all concerned on the magnificent display of floral design in Darlington.

It is an absolute delight to visit your town. The colour and design is absolute magic on roundabouts, bus stop shelters and hanging baskets.

Keep up the good work. - David Hall, Catterick Village.

COUNCIL SPENDING

WHY is the environment of private ratepayers treated so much worse than that of council tenants? Council estates have block paving, traffic calming schemes and cast-iron bollards as street furniture. The properties and interior fittings are constantly up-dated, all at the ratepayer's expense. - JA Telford, Darlington.

LIBRARY FINES

READING your article, Anger at child's library tapes fine (Echo, Aug 7), I think a fine must be imposed on overdue items, even to children. After all, it is OUR library, paid for by OUR council tax, that is being misused. - G Howe, Darlington.

70th BIRTHDAY

MAY I thank my many friends and family for the brilliant night we had for my 70th birthday which I turned into a charity night for breast cancer research. We all had a great night and made £670 for the breast care trust.

So many, many thanks to all of you. - Rita Watson, Darlington.

LARRY ADLER

ON waking from the effects of anaesthetic in a ward of the British Commonwealth Military Hospital at Kure, Japan, in November 1951, the first person my eyes focused upon was Larry Adler.

He was standing directly in front of my bed with head to one side and eyes closed in concentration as he performed a slow and peaceful piece of music. Not a bad awakening, I thought. Larry was on a tour of bases and hospitals during the Korean war. - GH Grieveson, Richmond

Billingham

STOCKTON council has had it made abundantly clear to it at public meetings, by protests and petitions that the people of Billingham want a proper theatre included in the regeneration project. It is time the council spoke out clearly as to why it seems determined to exclude a theatre (Echo, Aug 9). There must be a reason. Why not let us all know what it is? - EA Moralee, Billingham.

EUROPE

THE Europeans are trying to get Britain to ratify Article 3 of the Valetta Convention which would make metal detectors illegal without a licence.

Britain is the only country which obeys European laws. The rest sign but ignore the legislation.

Now it is time for Britain to make European laws. We don't like bullfighting in Spain, nor do we like the shooting of songbirds by the French, Italians, Maltese and Greeks. Migrating British songbirds landing in Malta and other Mediterranean islands are blasted out of the sky with shotguns.

Let us put a stop to this insanity with British-produced European legislation. - Raymond Selkirk, Chester-le-Street.

PUNISHMENT

ALFRED Welch was found guilty of punching three people and killing a fourth as the result of a joke in the early hours of Sunday, March 11 (Echo, July 31). He was given a jail sentence of three years.

His actions have completely devastated the family of the murder victim, Paul Simpson, and I feel that the sentence for the Simpson family is life-long while Welch will probably be free in approximately 14 months. Can this really be British justice?

With sentences like this, what deterrent is there for youngsters of today and how safe is life for the remainder of us? - Ruth Erskine, Great Ayton.

HAROLD Heslop suggests (HAS, Aug 13) that I support state-sponsored killing. I support capital punishment 100 per cent, but that has not been around for over 30 years.

However, during that time there has been any amount of state-sponsored killings: killings done by violent offenders who in between terms of imprisonment when they enjoy every comfort and therapy the state can supply, are repeatedly set at large by the state to offend again and again.

That may legitimately be described as state-sponsored killing.

The phrase is of course normally reserved for the activities of government death squads in totalitarian states. To apply it to capital punishment, such as we had in this country before 1967, is to obscure and trivialise the issue. - Tony Kelly, Crook.

MINERS' HEALTH

I HAVE sympathy for the thousands of retired miners waiting for compensation due to emphysema and bronchitis which has left many housebound and gasping for breath. It is sad to watch proud ex-miners, once built like athletes, in such poor health.

One of my old marras told me of the trauma of everyday life. He sleeps in the armchair in the living room, never goes to bed. He has been awarded 100 per cent compensation by the Benefits Agency for emphysema. He has been told by the DTI he must go through a separate medical for British Coal compensation. This is ridiculous.

One should remember these miners worked in atrocious, brutal conditions underground, often wet, cramped conditions for several hours. It brings a lump to my throat to watch many elderly miners at the point of death clinging in hope of compensation - newspapers and MPs have chronicled their condition.

Changes must be made to the system and the method of payment of compensation . Ex-miners with evidence of the disease should not go through another medical.

Let us bring a little happiness to our old comrades, give them their compensation before it is too late. - Jimmy Taylor, Coxhoe.

THANKS

ON BEHALF of the family of Mrs Martha Yates, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all members of the staff in Glebe House Residential Home, Fishburn.

Over the last six years since Martha became a resident in Glebe House, the level of care has been excellent and the staff both welcoming and friendly during our frequent visits. They are to be warmly congratulated for all their endeavours and especially for their superb efforts last week when Martha celebrated her 100th birthday.

Family and friends enjoyed a most entertaining afternoon with the other residents. It was a very special occasion made even more enjoyable by the hard work of all members of staff. Thank you. - D and J Morrison, Fishburn.