Letters

MY heart bleeds for poor David Beckham and his Manchester United team mates, struggling to make ends meet on a mere £50,000 a week and demanding a huge pay rise.

But fear not, Man U supporters - if the pay rise is granted, you won't be asked to finance it through the cost of tickets or associated merchandise.

Oh no, the extra expense will be borne by directors' profits and team sponsors Vodafone will chip in too. And at the same time, a herd of porcine creatures will be seen flying overhead. - William Nicholson, Shildon.

Billingham

I WAS pleased to see from your correspondent G Stanworth (HAS, Dec 18) that there appears to be more people of similar mind than myself.

While agreeing wholeheartedly with his comments about Billingham, the word joke hardly describes the abject attempt to show any sort of Christmas spirit around the town centre.

The conglomeration of charity and card shops do nothing to enhance the feeling of degeneration which has been the ongoing face of Billingham over the past 20 years. The almost futile attempt to decorate the decrepit Christmas tree and string the few lights beggars belief and would probably have been better to have been left untouched.

I believe that the new regeneration scheme will probably fall between plan A and plan B and end up as a mish-mash of the two. I agree with your correspondent and fail to see a brighter future for the town. - S Hodgson, Billingham.

METROPOLITAN POLICE

PETER Winstanley (HAS, Dec 14) is once again being nave when he asserts only that what he wishes to see and hear.

What kind of response does he expect from the Metropolitan Police. He does not expect them to admit that they and many of their officers are ignoring crimes being committed.

As for accusing Peter Mallon of unresearched journalism, it would suggest a case of the kettle calling the pot black.

Peter Mullen at best lives and works in London and I am sure he does not tell malicious gossip which seems to be what Mr Winstanley suggests.

The problem with the politically correct establishment is they have total disregard for the truth and verity; and as long as they can get their way they will.

Reports like the Macpherson Report do nothing but harm to us all and solve nothing.

You can believe whatever you want Mr Winstanley, but stop trying to assert that the rest of us don't know the difference between chalk and cheese. - John Young, Crook.

MARTIN BELL

WHAT is Martin Bell afraid of? He has announced his provisional intention of standing at the next election against a Conservative who may or may not be a member of a Pentecostal Church (Echo, Dec 9).

Is he afraid a Christian candidate will not be as honest and decent an MP as he promises to be if elected? What does he mean, it is a question of democracy?

Would a Christian candidate pull down democracy and replace it with something else? Is that what Mr Bell fears? - EA Moralee, Billingham.

SOCIETY

THE biased social engineers of left-wing Britain are determined to rid society of its so-called divisions and prejudices, all in one fell swoop and all at the cost of age old traditions and ways of life.

However praiseworthy this may be in principle, it is viciously dangerous in practice, for it opens the door to those who would destroy western civilisation if given half the chance.

Nowhere is this bigotry, foolery and treason more obvious than in the clever, sugary words of M Jordan (HAS, Dec 18). The letter writer does not recognise such honest-go-goodness blessings as religious homogenity, cultural unit or social tradition. His idea of perfection seems to be the kind of multi-racial, multi-faith melting pot that never worked well for the Romans and that will not work for the British, for the simple reason it is cruelly founded on creating a new society from the rubble of a cherished old one. - Andrew Lightfoot, Bridlington.

FILM MAKING

I REFER to Movie-making (HAS, Dec 11). Northern Screen Commission is not a funding organisation, and the two films mentioned, Purely Belter and Billy Elliot, were privately financed, as was Close and True.

But the main message put forward by Robin Ashby is that such films reinforce an adverse view of the region by "neutral eyes". If so, then the two films also portray young people with spirit that rises above the reality of their lives and they illustrate the true grit and humour of Northern people as well.

Having them set here in the North of England means employment for a lot of people as well as cash injections for local businesses, and the possibility of increased tourism.

As far as getting a Sleepless in Seattle here, we are doing our best to attract all kinds of film activity to our region. The forthcoming film of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone will show off some of the more attractive parts of the region.

We are also pretty sure it will be a blockbuster. - Paul Mingard, Commissioner, Northern Screen Commission.

LONDON MARATHON

DO you have guaranteed places for the Flora London Marathon in April 2001?

If so, The Stroke Association is looking for people with marathon places to run in aid of the charity.

Last year, participants in the London Marathon raised more than £34,000 to fund vital research and support for people affected by stroke, this country's single biggest cause of death and disability.

I would like to urge anyone who has a place in the 26-mile race to run in aid of The Stroke Association and help the 300,000 people living with the effects of stroke at present in England and Wales.

For more information about helping The Stroke Association through the marathon, please contact Kate Hunter, National Events Officer on 020 7566 0324 or e-mail khuntersuch hones