16/01/06

I was in Bishop over the Christmas holidays only to see that the portable lavatory in the Market Place was not there at the busiest time of the year.There was even more rubbish and the taxi rank was as chaotic as ever. I witnessed more violent behaviour than ever and no presence of police or marshals.

I have great admiration for all door staff in Bishop Auckland, who are very courteous and professional and are very quick to stamp out violent behaviour.

In your article it stated that marshals would man the taxi rank for an hour after closing time.Does it not make sense that everyone does not leave the pubs after closing time and may be go home earlier? The problems occur much earlier, but no official presence is there.

Also, would it not have been a good idea to implement these changes earlier in the year to educate the revellers instead of waiting for the busiest time of the year? M Aspey, Crook.

LOCO PLEA: I AM preparing a new edition of a book called Industrial Locomotives of Durham, which was first published in 1977 by the Industrial Railway Society and of which I was the joint editor.The new edition will be in two volumes and the first volume is now with the printers.

By far the largest section in Part Two will be about the National Coal Board and this offers a unique opportunity to include details of the work of locomotives underground in collieries.

The identities and movements of the locomotives are not a problem; what I would like to obtain is information about things such as the seams (or horizons) the loco haulage served, the different types of loco just the basic facts about each system. It is very much the case that if this information is not set down soon, it will be lost for ever.

If anyone can help I would be very grateful if they would get in touch with me, either by phone on (01670) 713919 or by e-mail at mountford@cramlington20.fsnet.co.uk. CE Mountford, Cramlington.

GEORGE GALLOWAY: IN a time when New Labour and Tory politicians adopt a risk free approach to media relations, by merely reciting platitudes that someone else has told them to say, it was very refreshing to see George Galloway enter the Big Brother house.

Mr Galloway did this for two reasons. First of all to raise money for Interpal, a Palestinian charity. Even if he is expelled from the house after a few days a proportion of the cost of Big Brother phone calls in his favour will be directed towards providing food for half starved Palestinian infants.

Secondly, Mr Galloway wants to put across to young people the political ideas of socialists and the anti-war movement. Currently less than 40 per cent of young people bother voting and Mr Galloway is keen to demonstrate that, in the political party Respect, there is an organisation which can offer the young more than all night boozing and Anti Social Behaviour Orders.

Mr Galloway has been meticulous in keeping constituency surgeries and he has conducted more public meeting in his seat of Bethnal Green and Bow in six months than the average New Labour MP does in a lifetime.Despite the Parliamentary recess his office remains open and a surgery was held on January 6 conducted by his assistant Rob Hoverman. Twelve people attended. John Gilmore, Treasurer, Respect, Darlington and South Durham.

POLICE MERGERS: IT would seem that one of the reasons given by the Home Office for larger police forces is it would help combat terrorism.It considers that forces of less than 4,000 are not effective, therefore they should join with neighbouring forces.

In that case, can anyone explain why the force in the front line against terror (City of London Police) has only about 800 officers but it is not being considered for amalgamation? Barry Wood, Edmondsley.

HURWORTH SCHOOL: THANK you for printing my letter (HAS, Dec 31) under the heading of Hurworth School.

I would like to mention, however, that the last sentence of the fourth paragraph was meant to convey the message that accusing the school and its supporters of caring nothing for education throughout the whole of the borough is to ignore the facts. Barrie Armstrong, Darlington.

SAVE FEETHAMS: IT LOOKS as though poor old Feethams is going to be taken away as a sports facility for the people of Darlington. This is outrageous.

While the stadium may be tatty and old fashioned in certain parts, Feethams is the spiritual home of Darlington FC, and the council should not allow the land to be developed into a new housing estate.

Ideally, the newer East Stand should be maintained while the other three stands are demolished and the ground should be used to hold sports events for local schools.

We have too many new housing developments in Darlington and Feethams should remain intact for the benefit of local schoolchildren and for its historical links with the town. Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

SCOTTISH OIL: RE Hugh Penders letter (HAS, Jan 10). May I refer him to www.thebusinessonline.com of December 18, 2005 which states that last year the subsidy to Scotland from the tax collected in England, as Wales and Northern Ireland are also heavily subsidised, was 11.3bn.4.3bn was collected from North Sea revenue and if every penny had gone to Scotland, it would still have left a 7bn gap that equates to a 281 surcharge on every English taxpayer.

Perhaps the tax on whisky would have closed the gap? Frances Lade, Hitchin, Herts.

TORY PARTY: I MUST reply to Paul Rivers comments re the Tory Party (HAS, Jan 10) as I find them so blinkered.

He said the Tories gave us a 15 per cent interest rate. But my calculations show the Labour Party is doing the same thing in a different format. Yes, interest rates are about five per cent but the price of houses has tripled, so instead of having a 50K mortgage we now end up with a 150K one, the same result as the 15 per cent interest rate.

Crime rates increased 100 per cent over a 20 year period maybe, but look at the crime today and the more serious nature, it is remarkably higher than ten years ago and just look at the jail sentences now.

Look at the mess Labour is making of privatising our public services. Waiting lists have been cut but I believe this is because more employers offer private health care.

Under Labour we are now losing all our little retailers. When I was younger, we had milkmen, butchers, bakers, newsagents, separate post offices and good corner shops, which helped build communities. They are just about extinct because the supermarkets have taken all the trade.

This is a new generation of Tories and one that will have learnt from its mistakes and those of Labour. All I can say is things can only get better. Julie Jones, Darlington.