Letters

IS the dreadful, worrying situation at Tow Law, caused by the incompetence of MAFF, where people's and especially children's health is at risk, another prime example of the north-south divide? I think so. Would this travesty have been allowed to trail on with no end result in Buckinghamshire or some such Home County - certainly not.

Come on Mr Blair, rally your troops and make Tow Law your first priority. Get rid of this filth. - Mary Armstrong, Crook.

ON our way from Carlisle to Beamish, we found ourselves in a village called Wolsingham.

Desperate for a cup of tea, we found an Aladdin's cave selling every conceivable item from fresh flowers to chairs, silver rings to home-made jams.

It was a very good Bank Holiday and the tea room was almost empty. This most remarkable shop is run by a mother and daughter, both very friendly and obliging.

During the visit, a farmer's wife arrived with the best scones I have ever seen, along with home-baked goodies of all kinds.

After spending over an hour there, we set off, but never got to Beamish and we were all upset, both for the people we met and the Weardale area.

The farmer's wife had been in quarantine for six weeks and had lost not only her flock of sheep but also her revenue of baking during this time. Closing the walkways and parks has been death for Wolsingham and the dale as a whole.

To all those people looking for a day out, take our recommendation and visit the Weardale area. You still cannot walk far, but the pretty village and the Just Desserts tea room is well worth a visit.

With God's help, foot-and-mouth will not go on forever and areas like this should not be allowed to die. - Val and Desmont Wilks, Carlisle.

NATURE RESERVE

ANYONE who has been to Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve recently cannot have failed to notice the hive of activity in the wildlife garden. Volunteers have worked through dreadful weather conditions to double the size of the original garden.

The extended garden contains all the environments you can find in the Durham Wildlife Trust's area including a lowland heath. The heather plants were donated by Derwentside District Council to help develop the garden and 100 heathers were planted in total. For a limited period, you can also see into the bat cave next to the heathland. This will be converted into a lead mine in the near future, thanks to the donation of more limestone from Sherburn Stone.

The garden is proving to be of great interest to visitors - as well as the wildlife. We also aim to give ideas on how gardening can be helpful to wildlife and can be environmentally friendly. The garden should also be an invaluable resource to offer to schools for input into the national curriculum.

May I thank all those who have contributed in any way in the creation of the Wildlife Garden. - Julie Fulton, Durham Wildlife Trust, Houghton-le-Spring.

POSTCARD APPEAL

MAY I ask readers going on holiday here and abroad to add another postcard to their list and send it to Dr Hadwen Trust Postcard Appeal, c/o 18 Fletton Avenue, Peterborough PE2 8AU.

These will be auctioned to raise funds for research into cancer, diabetes, heart disease, meningitis, Alzheimer's etc. Also needed are foreign stamps, preferably still on the envelope, first day covers, British stamps, phone cards, old and foreign currency, clear postmarks, jewellery and watches, including broken ones and, of course, picture postcards.

Anyone wanting to know more about this vital work that relates directly to humans and is safer, cheaper and more reliable than animal research, should write to the Dr Hadwin Trust for Humane Research, 84a Tilehouse Street, Hitchin, Herts. Donations are also urgently needed.

Please take the time to send a postcard and make this appeal a big success. Thank you. - Dorothy Benton, Peterborough.

ELECTION TURN-OUT

YOU don't have to look too far to explain the low turnout for the election.

Many Labour voters did not vote because they felt the result was a foregone conclusion. After all, the media had been predicting the result for months.

Equally, Conservatives obviously felt they had no chance and stayed at home.

William Hague made a big mistake in clinging to Mrs Thatcher's apron strings and he paid the inevitable price. What now for the Tories?

They have, in Kenneth Clarke, an experienced liberal Tory who undoubtedly could revive their fortunes, but they are so entrenched in right-wing nationalistic ideology they will fall deeper into the abyss.

Our future is inextricably linked to Europe and further isolation would spell economic disaster.

I sense the Tories have not yet learned their lesson and will cast aside Mr Clarke for Michael Portillo - another right-winger. Labour must be praying Mr Portillo will be the next Tory leader, making the likelihood of another Labour victory a strong possibility in four or five years' time.

It took the Labour Party 20 years to see the light and it has now established itself as the natural party of government.

I think it will take another electoral defeat to convince the Tories to throw off the image of a party blinded by xenophobic nationalism. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

PETER MULLEN

WHAT a vitriolic outpouring by Peter Mullen (Echo, June 15). He often writes in nasty terms about the Labour Party and Tony Blair, but this piece beats them all.

Writing in a North-East newspaper, where whole communities were vandalised by the Thatcher government, this beggars belief. Surely The Northern Echo could find someone with more humanity to write for it.

I suggest, instead of reading about Hitler and Co, he goes back to the Bible and reads Jesus's teachings. He taught humility and love for all mankind. Peter Mullen lacks both. - A Hodgson, Darlington.