Hear All Sides

TONY BLAIR

I AM a farmer in Sedgefield and Tony Blair is my MP. As well as being Prime Minister, he is an MP first and foremost, and has an obligation to look after the interests of his constituents, of which I am one.

During the recent and ongoing saga of foot-and-mouth, I encountered severe problems. I rang Mr Blair's constituency office and spoke to someone who gave me the usual "tea and sympathy".

I wrote to Mr Blair at the constituency office on three occasions, and received no reply. I then wrote to him at Downing Street outlining my problem, and still I received no reply.

I think that this is utter arrogance and contempt on his part. If he cares so little for his own constituents, how much do you think he cares for you? The man doesn't deserve to be an MP, never mind the "ruler" of this country. - S Smith, Sedgefield.

PROMISES made by this Government to ex-miners and their widows have been broken.

These men deserve every penny and more of compensation due to them. Is a medical test really necessary to prove their employment made them ill when all you have to do is simply open your eyes and look.

For them to be told to wait another five to ten years is a disgrace and affront to justice. Miners for nearly a century have remained loyal to the Labour movement. For the minister to now refuse the miners a meeting is nothing short of contempt for the families involved.

Millions of pounds of compensation is paid out to gays/lesbians, ethnic groups and so called stressed-out office workers when a few "off the cuff' remarks are taken out of context and classed as sexual/racial discrimination. If you break so much as a fingernail, someone will help you sue.

We are a seriously lucky generation of workers. A picture of my uncle outside Newton Cap Colliery hangs at my desk, a reminder, when I have a bad shift, not to complain because those lads worked in two foot seams with six inches of water.

The mineworkers' pension fund has vast assets, which is creamed off yearly by the Treasury, while the number of ex-miners reduces yearly before they can claim what is rightfully theirs.

Get the money paid out, in full, and any left over share it out between the remaining ex-miners - it's their money, not the Treasury's. No more excuses Mr Blair. - J Tague, Bishop Auckland.

SOUTH PARK

THE condition of South Park in Darlington (Echo, July 26) is not totally the fault of the council. No matter how much money is spent making the park as beautiful as it was in the past, it will be a waste as long as the mindless hooligans are allowed to roam at will, destroying everything in their path day after day.

The only answer is to bring back the park keeper with the old-fashioned powers of discipline to sort them all out once and for all. - J Rishworth, Darlington.

GENOA

C BENNETT of Bishop Auckland (HAS, July 28) calls the mob at Genoa the "selfless few". They are nothing but thugs, and cannot live by democratic rules.

How can anyone behaving so be described as "selfless". All they want is their own way and will use any means to achieve it, violent or otherwise. And isn't it funny when they are interviewed in the media, they all bleat: "Oh I only went to demonstrate peacefully".

For pity's sake, you don't demonstrate peacefully with prepared bombs and masks. - A Blenkinsopp, Isle of Wight.

BLIND JACK'S FIDDLE

DOES anyone know the whereabouts of Blind Jack's fiddle? During research connected with a forthcoming Radio 4 programme (August 20) on the famous blind Yorkshire roadmaker and spa musician, I have come across the catalogue of an exhibition of "The Arts and Industries of the Blind" held at Church House, Westminster in 1914. On display was the violin that had belonged to John Metcalf, better known as "Blind Jack of Knaresborough" (1717 - 1810), loaned by a Mr ES Metcalf. If anyone knows where this violin might now be I would greatly appreciate any information concerning it - to be treated in confidence, of course, if necessary. - Dr Arnold Kellett, 22 Aspin Oval, Knaresborough, North Yorks, HG5 8EL.

FOOT-AND-MOUTH

WE in the South-East are hearing how Yorkshire is being devastated by foot-and-mouth, and we are desperately trying to keep people down here informed - which is difficult when the might of Government machinery is pretending the disease went away prior to the elections. Please, can people in Yorkshire keep me informed of the situation?

We have heard that some people in the area do not know their rights. There is help and support out there. If anyone does not know who to get in touch with, please contact me. There is a growing network of people who are working to try to get something done about the continued mass slaughter, often of healthy animals, and in a such a cock-eyed manner. - Sue Burton, 2 Mellish Way, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 2GU (01708-479248)