POWER SUPPLIES

AS A retired electrical engineer I am cautious before casting criticism as I am all too aware that things are not as simple as they first appear.

Bearing this in mind, I would like to ask the local electricity board how it is that, at the first signs of inclement weather, the power fails in our area.

I have lived in Heighington for the past 15 years and virtually every year, at the first puff of wind or snow, off goes the electricity supply.

The latest incident, as I am sure many people in my area will know, was on New Year's Eve when the power went off at 6.40pm and was not restored until 3am on New Year's Day.

In no way am I criticising the local electricity board engineers as I know only too well what an arduous task it is to go out in freezing weather conditions to locate and repair faults, especially on overhead power lines.

My concern is that, because of the frequent failure of the system during the winter months, does it point to the fact that there is an inherent weakness in the design of the distribution system such that a failure of one part results in the shutdown of a much larger area, with no apparent means of quickly re-routing supplies to bypass the local fault?

I would be grateful if someone from the local supply authority could comment on these remarks and advise if there is any possibility of the risk of future power failures being reduced, or at least their downtime shortened, before I go out and buy myself a standby generator. - J Davison, Heighington.

TV SHOWS

I AGREE with EA Moralee (HAS Jan 2) about the lack of family entertainment shows on TV.

What's wrong with TV companies when they don't appear to have any space for family entertainment shows within their programmes? Those in the same vein as the ever-popular shows from yesteryear - Black and White Minstrels and Sundays Night at the Palladium, etc.

Many years ago a popular radio show started with the words "Wakey, Wakey", The Billy Cotton Band Show.

It's about the time TV companies did exactly that, wake up to the fact that licence payers want some entertainment of show-biz style, rather than films of murder, brutality and war, which seems to be the norm these days.

There's an old saying "Variety is the spice of life". At the present time, there's very little variety and no "spice" at all. - Jack Amos, Willington.

HONOURS LIST

THE honours list is, for the most part, a farcical insult to the majority and simply feeds the ego of government and its minions.

If we are to consider the honours list as just, why are people who have slogged all their lives on the building sites, lorry drivers and bus drivers; postmen and many others who are the salt of the earth, whose efforts are simply taken for granted; not included? - J Young, Crook.

EURO

WHEN the euro was launched, supporters of the new currency said that Britain would lose out by keeping the pound. They said that we would lose jobs and lose inward investment.

But at the end of 2000 and two years after the launch of the euro, these scare stories have proved false.

Britain has been a magnet for foreign investment during that time and unemployment has continued to fall to the lowest level for over 20 years.

Abolishing the pound and replacing it with the euro carries significant costs and risks which would threaten our economic success.

There would be the cost of locking into the wrong interest rate. Britain's economy is out of step with the Eurozone. We do more trade outside the EU than other members; we have a larger service sector; a smaller agricultural sector and we are a net exporter of oil.

The rate set by the European Central Bank will rarely be right for the British economy. There would also be the cost of higher taxes. - John Elliott, Chairman, Business for Sterling North East.

COLLECTIVE NOUNS

YOU asked for suggestions for collective nouns (Echo, Dec 27).

The list must be endless, but here are my few to add to your collection: a clot of haemotologists, keg of publicans, churn of milkmen, convoy of admirals, catch of anglers, pit of miners, class of teachers, field of farmers. - Arthur Lanes, Seaham.

ST TERESA'S HOSPICE

MAY I take this opportunity of thanking all the good people of Darlington who have donated money in aid of St Teresa's Hospice, Darlington.

I am pleased to say, that with their help. I have coped very well with my cancer of this past year due to the care of the hospice which has made a vast difference in my life. - Elsie Morton, Darlington.

EUROPE

THE former head of John Major's policy unit, Lord Blackwell, highlighted the impossibility of William Hague ever being able to implement Conservative policies if the United Kingdom remains in the EU and warns of the inevitability of us returning to the dark days of state intervention.

What is William Hague's answer? He says Britain must remain in the EU and he will try to make it more flexible. How pathetic.

How can Mr Hague condemn the United Kingdom to the inexorable march towards a European superstate with all its mad bureacracy? - Stephen Feaster, Chairman, United Kingdom Independence Party, Ryedale branch, Pickering.

Spennymoor

YOUR excellent piece (Echo, Jan 3) on the state of Spennymoor town centre is to be applauded. As you reported, Tories from the Bishop Auckland Constituency recently completed a survey of 1,500 people in Spennymoor to listen to their concerns.

Top of the list by a mile was the condition of their town, and their criticism of the inept handling of regeneration issues by Sedgefield Borough Council.

However, there are three important missing questions in the report.

What is the local authority doing about it? What is the local MP doing about it? When will the Government divert funds to the improvement of this forgotten area of the North?

The answers, in order, are nothing, nothing, and never. - Fiona McNish, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Bishop Auckland Conservatives.

PETER MULLEN

IN defence of V Griffiths (HAS, Dec 28) my husband and I were in agreement with his/her opinion.

For some time now Peter Mullen has angered us with his biased right-wing opinions.

His depressing view on life is contrary to Christian teaching.

V Griffiths has a right to his/her opinion which Andrew Lightfoot (HAS, Jan 2) wants to deny. - Mrs A McKinnon, Stockton.

MACPHERSON REPORT

IN response to John Young (HAS Dec. 21) I would like to say that although I do not live in London, I have friends and relations who do.

I have been to the Notting Hill Carnival. I have exchanged letters and telephone calls with three Metropolitan Police officers.

I have read all of the recommendations of the Macpherson Report and I think they represent a reasonable and moderate attempt to tackle a serious problem.

This is not about "political correctness" but about right and wrong, and racism is wrong.

I do not deny that the report has had some adverse effects, but Peter Mullen's account of the policing of the carnival was pure mischief. - P Winstanley, Chester-le-Street