29/08/05

I took my grandson in so he would not be adopted. He is now five and I have never been on holiday or had a night out since he came.

I am very tired, worn out and struggle, but, guess what, he's my very loving and caring little boy and makes everyone happy and has an infectious smile.

Shame on you all. You are all self first. I have had to give my freedom up and I am 59. - Name and address supplied.

THE OLD GREEN

IF all or most of the residents of the Old Green in Richmond had been using the square in which to park their cars, talk of using it for housing by the district council may not have arisen.

The Old Green is an important historical part of the town that would attract the attention of visitors more if it was not spoiled by that everyday circle of parked cars surrounding it.

There is an old adage that the car owners of the Green may care to ponder: "Use it or lose it". - GH Grieveson, Richmond.

DISABLED PLIGHT

DOES Darlington Borough Council not care about disabled people?

The Pedestrian Heart Scheme was supposed to make it easier for disabled people to get about.

Yet, if this is so, why does the council see fit to place a water feature right next to the ramp which allows disabled people access between the levels in the High Row, thus blocking the access between those levels?

They are supposed to be working with the Darlington Association on Disability so they can find out what disabled people's needs are and how best to make shopping in the town as easy as possible.

The council still wants to go ahead and put the water feature next to the ramp even though there have been objections from the association. Even some of the dropped curbs that are already in place cannot be used because they are next to bus stops and buses are always parked over them. We are grateful that the council is trying to make our lives easier, but in some cases they are making life more difficult, by placing obstacles in the way of the things that were put there to help us. - S Geldart, Darlington.

A-LEVELS

WHETHER making A-level exams tougher, as has been suggested, is the solution to the current problems with exams in schools, I'm not sure.

The thought of another change being thrust upon teachers and pupils is not a welcome one.

However, it is clear that something radical must be done when youngsters are leaving school barely literate and numerate, yet claiming to have earned a string of good exam results. Universities and prospective employers need a truly reliable, accurate guide as to the capability of candidates. The present system just does not give that.

Back in the 1980s and before, it was only the very able few who attempted A-levels and not all of them achieved the necessary grades. Part of the difficulty with the present system is anyone and everyone is entered for exams in a variety of subjects. Clearly the standards have been lowered otherwise there would not be so many passing A-levels, which used to be a very tough test of academic ability.

The entire exam system has been vamped and re-vamped so often over the past few years, it is no wonder students and teachers are frustrated and employers don't know what the various grades denote.

The desire to have every student leave school with a string of passes is certainly being achieved, but what the pass grades really mean is questionable. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

NATIONAL PARK

I MUST congratulate Joe Willis on producing, not one, but two what might seem to be interesting pieces of journalism about an unauthorised horse-riding venture in Swaledale (Echo, Aug 22).

Martin Kiss, in creating his horse-riding business in Thwaite, appears to have flouted all the rules and policies of The Yorkshire Dales National Park in creating a major eyesore in an environmentally sensitive area of Swaledale.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park has quite rightly served enforcement notices about the buildings and a public inquiry is due to be held in October.

The riding ring looks as if the circus has arrived and there's even a TV aerial up a tree.

While everyone else living in the Dales makes appropriate planning applications for developments, Mr Kiss appears to be going ahead with doing what he likes. I am not the only objector. - A Butters, Richmond.

TONY BLAIR

IT is increasingly clear Mr Blair is coming to the end of his Premiership.

His absence from Robin Cook's funeral and his erratic handling of the terrorism issue are only two examples of his failing to keep a grip politically.

Nobody doubts that those advocating extreme violence should be locked away, but deportation will only produce a long drawn out campaign in the courts.

I would suggest that if he insists on standing at the next election we will be faced with the probability of a hung parliament which would be a bitter pill for Mr Blair to swallow.

If Mr Blair does not give Gordon Brown a fair chance to win the next election, then he will be seen by many people as petty and vindictive.

Most governments have a natural life span and any student of politics can see the present Government is heading for stormy waters, both economically and politically.

George Bush is adopting a typical bellicose attitude to Iran and this will produce more problems for Mr Blair.

Labour MPs should now be telling Mr Blair to prepare to stand down at least two years before the next election, otherwise he will leave No 10 with a severely tarnished reputation.

Had it not been for his fatal attachment to US policy in the Middle East, he would be remembered as a good PM. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

CHILDLINE

I AM disgusted that Childline may have to close its call lines during night time due to lack of funding.

The reason for this, in my opinion, is because of the current Labour Government which is far too busy donating billions of pounds to foreign matters.

If Childline was a charitable organisation set up for the children of Africa, then Tony Blair and his comrades in office would have made the extra funds needed available before we could say feed the world. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.