07/09/05

The No 16 bus serves the Abbey Junior School area but it only runs once an hour. Many elderly and infirm people live in flats in this area and, if this situation continues, many will become housebound.

To add insult to injury, the bus stop is being moved to the bottom of Tubwell Row on the Stone Bridge.

Many elderly people buy their groceries at Marks & Spencer and the Covered Market. Some of these people can hardly walk, let alone carry heavy shopping to a distant bus stop.

As a result, the taxis will be over-subscribed and, eventually, the elderly will not be able to get out at all. Surely, a caring council will consider this.

In view of this, it is essential that a bus stop be positioned near to M&S. There are already bus stops in this area, which cater for the outlying council estates for which there seems to be a surfeit of buses.

The slogan about Darlington being a town on the move is a joke. A pensioner pays £80 for an annual so-called concessionary pass.

Come on Darlington Council, show you care and do something about this. - Mrs VM Smith, Darlington.

SHOW OF COLOUR

A HUGE vote of thanks to all the parks department employees who have made the flower beds in Billingham such a glorious show of colour and variety.

This year's displays really have exceeded the high standards that are present all year round, so thank you to everyone concerned.

I am sure the many visitors who attended the folk festival last week were delighted and impressed with the colourful displays that greeted them. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

WHITE HORSE HOTEL

I STRONGLY object to the demolition of the White Horse Hotel to make way for more blocks of flats or apartments which, in my opinion, are not needed at this time.

There are far too many of these get-rich-quick schemes at present and it's up to Darlington Borough Council to call a halt.

The majority of people, having seen an example of this in Neasham Road, Darlington, are appalled by this monstrosity. It is huge and looks more like a prison building than private homes.

The White Horse is a lovely building and an asset. I have in the past few weeks seen coachloads of tourists from Germany, Italy, France and Wales staying there. These are the sort of visitors we should be attracting to our town, especially after all the money the council is spending on High Row and the setting up of the tourism review group by Darlington Council to make this a visitor friendly town.

Sadly, there appears to be a lack of interest by both the borough and parish councils to support the local views, so much so that the residents have had to form their own action group to oppose the development. Is it not time the council listened to their voters? - R Wilson, Darlington.

FAMILY PLEA

I AM completing an illustrated book about the Bulmer family of Brancepeth and Hilton Castles and Bulmer Manor (entitled Saxon Survivors?) and would like to hear from descendants.

The last Bulmer knight was Sir Bertram, a recusant Roman Catholic, who was buried at St Oswald's, Durham in 1638.

Numerous of his descendants lived in Durham and the Startforth district. - Peter Davison, 27 Fryup Crescent, Kemplah Park, Guisborough, Cleveland TS14 8LG.

TOWN CENTRE PLANS

I AGREE with so many of the sentiments expressed in your readers' letters regarding Darlington Borough Council's plans for our town centre.

I have attended all the Town Forum meetings, which the council describe as "consultation".

I find this laughable. The decisions on pedestrianisation and the new shopping centre have already been taken. The council is not listening to the people who elected them.

While the town does need some improvements, do we really need to lose the historic elements of the High Row?

Our planners' idea of respecting the town's architecture is to light up the building in different colours according to their age (rather like a cheap disco).

Despite petitions from the Heritage Society, complaints from local traders and the public, still the plans are forging forward.

With regards to the new shopping centre, the important question that should be asked is: where are the new shoppers coming from? There are numerous empty shops in prime sites in the town already and how many of our current independent traders will go out of business as a result of these new stores?

I urge all interested parties to demand that the council debates this matter properly. I suggest that The Northern Echo mounts a campaign to ensure that the millions of pounds to be spent are used wisely. The aim should be to make Darlington a unique, vibrant and pleasant town for shoppers, visitors and residents. - Martin Elliott, Darlington.

TEST MATCH

DURING the Test match at Trent Bridge, when the Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, was run out, he was correct in complaining to the umpire that his dismissal was not in keeping with "the spirit of the game".

When a substitute fielder plays in a cricket match in "the spirit of the game" he should field at fine leg or third man or on the boundary so that he is not closely involved in any dismissal.

This arrangement began in local cricket when the substitute fielder would usually be a member of the opposing team and therefore he was protected from being involved in the dismissal of one of his own team.

One could also criticise the umpire's decision relating to the diving catch made by Andrew Strauss. Strauss caught the ball but was it "held"?

After his dive, he pulled the ball under his body so the ball could have touched the ground, therefore he would have "dropped the catch".

His action would have made the umpire unsighted, so he should have given the batsman the benefit of the doubt.

Playing to one's own rules is now encouraged in all walks of life, whether it means bending the original rules or arguing with authority, but we can be very sure when The Sports Personality of the Year is chosen, the media will be very selective with the images they produce. - Thomas Conlon, Spennymoor.

MO MOWLAM

A VERY fitting memorial to Mo Mowlam would be a memorial swimming baths.

The baths would benefit young and old alike. Mo was a keen swimmer herself and was rather miffed when the council closed the swimming baths.

As the row with the council and Coatham residents shows no sign of abating, the underprivileged, young people and residents desperately need this swimming pool.

Forget statues or plaques on the house where she lived. After all, she will always live on in our hearts. A memorial swimming baths would benefit all. - Mrs Mary Carter, Redcar.