23/08/05

The pub is to be built next to the newly-opened Alderman Leach School. As a parent of two young children, I find it difficult to believe that the position of the building has even been considered.

If councillors are going to grant permission despite objections from local residents, police and the environment agency, I wonder what exactly it would take to refuse permission.

Just who do these people represent and where do their priorities lie? With local residents, or with the brewery which wants to build the pub?

A public house would be a good amenity, but why does it have to be next to the school, where children will have to walk past on their way to and from school.

I look forward to the decision, and I will certainly remember when the next council elections arrive. Hopefully other voters will too. - Michael Arkwright, Darlington.

RECYCLING

IN reply to Coun Claire Wood's article defending North Yorkshire County Council's ill-considered changes at its recycling site (Echo, Aug 13) and her comments about change, the average person does not object to change if it is for the better, which is not so in this case.

I have been a regular user of the Northallerton site, which was well run and maintained.

By comparison, last week I found vehicles queuing out on to the road with a man at the gate allowing one vehicle at a time to discharge at one of the two skips.

I saw the bottle banks were overflowing, something that only occurred before at festival seasons and holiday times. - H Dyson, Northallerton.

TIMOTHY HACKWORTH

RE Timothy Hackworth and the double blast system (Echo, Aug 22).

Matthew Murray, born 1763 in Stockton, apprenticed as a blacksmith, went to Leeds in 1795 and started an iron foundry with David Wood. He made cast iron plates and rolled and riveted them while hot into high pressure boilers.

John Blenkinsop, manager of Middleton Colliery in South Leeds, patented in 1811 'a mechanical means of conveying coals and minerals'. With the technical assistance of Murray, they designed a locomotive using fixed toothed sails and a cogged wheel on the locomotive. In June 1812 it began daily work hauling coal from colliery.

The locomotives were built, two for the colliery and the third sold to John Watson, owner of Kenton and Coxlodge Colliery near Newcastle. George Stephenson was employed there at this time.

In 1813, William Hedley manufactured a locomotive for Mr Blackett, owner of Wylam Colliery. This was based on the Murray/Blenkinsop design but without the cogged wheel. It was to run on flat sails.

Stephenson then designed and built his own locomotive to run on round top sails which had been designed and cast by William Losh of Walker Ironworks. These would be fastened down on to wooden sleepers.

The Murray/Blenkinsop locomotive could pull 90 tons at 4mph but Stephenson's could only manage 30 tons. Stephenson sought the assistance of Murray, who advised him to use two cylinders instead of one and to use his double blast system of passing the exhaust steam back through the furnace to raise higher temperature and pressure. Murray died in Leeds in 1825, never acknowledged.

What of Hackworth? In May 1825 he was engaged as superintendent, later manager of the Robert Stephenson Locomotive Works that built the Rocket. - C Lambton, Stockton.

LOST SCULPTURE

I VIEW with interest the increasing debate over Durham County Council's proposals for public art.

When Durham County Hall was constructed in the early 1960s, a raised panel of ashlar stone was built into the wall above the main entrance, its purpose to carve a sculpture of a miner complete with his hat, lamp and pick.

For whatever reason, this sculpture was never carried out. I have on more than one occasion informed county hall of this unique tribute to our mining heritage and, to date, nothing appears to have been done.

It is regrettable the opportunity has been missed to show this feature as the design is superb. I know because I have seen it as I worked on county hall during the construction - Bob Kelly, Rushyford.

RELIGIONS

THE number of human lives lost because of differing religions is unbelievable, yet how many individuals study all religions and decide which they really believe. Very few.

In Northern Ireland, anyone born of Roman Catholic parents in a Roman Catholic area will grow up as a Roman Catholic; similarly if born of Protestant parents in a Protestant area. Does anyone study the other's religion even though both are Christians?

An orphan born of Muslim parents in Saudi Arabia and adopted by English parents, who are Christians, will grow up to be a Christian, and if an orphan born of Christian parents is adopted by Muslim Saudi-Arabians they will grow up to be Muslims.

Very few people study even one other religion than the one that their parents have brought them up to believe.

Is it possible that some time in the future an international body would be set up for anyone to study the basic principles of all religions to be able to come to a decision on the one they believe in?

Having studied all other religions, no doubt they would be more tolerant of the people who practised a different religion to the one that they had chosen, and would not go around killing people of a different religion to theirs. Or do we have little faith in the idea? - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

SURE START

"THE provision of Sure Start facilities in Shildon was designed against a background of much limited resources", said a spokesman for Durham County Council and Sure Start (Echo, July 26).

When Sure Start was first spoken about in Shildon Council chamber a number of years ago, a considerable amount of Government money went with the project. Is it being diverted elsewhere?

Timothy Hackworth School has been fitted with double glazed windows recently, and its brickwork architecture is the same as the recently-rebuilt Park Rest House.

So come on Durham County Council, if it has to be built in the confines of the Timothy Hackworth School, put that money into a decent build and not a brick shed. - Ken Bowes Shildon.

ROBIN COOK

I HAD always been very impressed with Robin Cook as a politician and his recent death is a major blow to Labour.

He was a fine public speaker and used his debating skills to great effect.

As some of his parliamentary colleagues have said, had Robin lived there was every likelihood that he would have returned to high office in Government.

Mr Cook's funeral was attended by many Cabinet members and because of this, it was not thought necessary for Mr Blair to break off his holiday, fly home and be there.

John McCririck's attack on the Prime Minister was anti-Labour as well as being rude and insulting. - LD Wilson, Guisborough.