Letters

PERHAPS the only organisation which could run a close race to Railtrack to see who cares least about the people who pay its wages, are the football authorities that run English football.

Unlike Northern Ireland, Wales and Eire, the English league is supposed to be one of, if not the, strongest football leagues in the world and has been so for over a century.

How is it then that national pride is set aside and ruthlessly disregarded and home-grown talent ignored?

One only has to reflect on events over the past few weeks where Home Secretary Jack Straw suggested that the home countries should amalgamate in search of future success. This was accompanied by the Football Association appointing a Swede as the new England boss.

Then, just to add salt to the wounds of the already battered English pride, Adam Crozier, the Scottish spokesperson of the English FA, announced that the English FA Cup Final is to be moved to a foreign footballing country's capital, Cardiff, despite the existence of superb English stadia such as Old Trafford, St James' Park and the Stadium of Light.

Is there no end to the lengths to which we English will go to sell our souls in the desperate search for success? - Mark Anderson, Darlington.

THE DOME

THERE appears to be some misunderstanding regarding the bonus payments due to the Millennium Dome staff. I believe that these bonuses are payable to all staff employed by the Dome, as loyalty payment for remaining at their posts until the bitter end.

It is not their fault that the Dome was a financial failure and there is no reason why these employees should be deprived of their just rewards.

While writing, I would like to thank Mayfair Travel of Murton, for a real "value for money" weekend trip to London early last December, a trip that included a flight on the London Eye on the Saturday evening followed by a meal and a good night's sleep at a four-star hotel and five hours at the Millennium Dome on the Sunday.

The Dome itself was a fabulous experience, which my wife and I will look back on and remember with great pleasure.

What a pity more of the "know-all" critics could not be bothered to go and see it. - Alan Benn, Bedale.

BREAST CANCER

AS a keen supporter of Breast Cancer Care, I would like to encourage anyone with a place in the London Marathon 2001 to raise funds for the charity.

Last year, Breast Cancer Care runners managed to raise £65,000 and this year we're hoping to do even better. Breast Cancer Care relies on funds to provide free support to anyone affected by breast cancer.

If you are interested in joining Breast Cancer Care's Marathon team, please contact the Events Team on 020 7384 4606 for a Marathon Survival Pack.

For any breast cancer concerns, phone Breast Cancer Care's free Helpline 0808 800 6000, open Monday to Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-2pm. - Anthea Turner.

THE POUND

WHY are so many people blaming the "strong" pound for the troubles in this country?

When Harold Wilson, almost shamefaced, declared that the pound in your pocket is just the same as he declared a devaluation of the UK currency, everyone thought it was a bad thing for the pound to go down.

And now it is one of the strongest currencies, especially against the euro. It means as well as our exported goods being dear, then all imports are cheap.

The strongest currency for decades (since the end of the Second World War) has been the American dollar. The lifestyle there is higher than any other country, and many of the goods in the shops are far cheaper there than in any other country, including the UK. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

SCARBOROUGH

I WAS indignant to read of Scarborough Borough Council's proposals to give the town a "have a nice day makeover" (Echo, Jan 3) in the light of my own experience there on January 1.

Having taken my octogenarian mother for an all-in New Year break at a hotel on The Esplanade, I was accompanying her on a walk from the South Cliff to the town centre.

Residual slush, still partly frozen, made the approaches to the Spa footbridge hazardously slippery, even for younger walkers. Why did the local authority not address this problem, especially with the significant number of elderly guests in South Bay hotels and the cliff lift being closed? The slush was not frozen solid and a few men with spades could have shifted it by late morning.

Scarborough Council should consider paying its staff to do such basic jobs before it burdens them - and hotel and other workers in the private sector who already know how to treat their clients - with lessons in trendy "customer friendliness".

A commonsense way to attract visitors would be to demonstrate more concern for their safety after bad weather. - George O'Neill, Stockton.

CLEVELAND CENTRE

THE leader of Middlesbrough Council is calling for a protest against the withdrawal of bus services from the town's bus station by Arriva (Echo, Jan 3).

Clearly it was not the bus company that closed Corporation Road in the middle of the town with plants, benches and fancy green railings.

I am now forced to wait in freezing conditions in a prototype wind tunnel (bus shelter) for the often delayed homebound service when, previously, I could wait in the warmth of the bus station.

It is only a matter of time before there is an accident outside the Cleveland Centre where the bus stops seem to be regularly blocked by cars and taxis picking up and dropping off passengers.

The sooner this experimental road scheme is ended the better. - Peter Shipp, Marske-by-the-Sea.