25/02/06

I would like to thank all the staff on Ward 20 for the care and kindness they showed to us. These people are not valued enough in what they do every working day.

The ward was very clean, and nice and bright, with a very happy team of staff who all went about their jobs with enthusiasm.

My wife and I were very worried about the visit but the staff made us relax and calmed our nerves. One more thing to say is well done Emily for being a brave girl.

David Gaffney, Crook.

BRAIN WASHED

HAVING lived in America for nearly five years it gives me no pleasure to see the Bush administration disgrace its country by its cynical neglect of the Geneva Convention and international law.

Fortunately, Bush has only two years to go and his co-conspirator Blair, hopefully even less.

Hillary Clinton, hopefully to be the first woman president of the US, has said that the Bush government is probably the worst ever in the history of US politics.

Of course, I hear you say, why did 52 per cent of the American public vote for him?

Americans are, by nature, generous and well informed, but sadly have been brainwashed by the religious right wing into believing they can virtually rule the world, either by force of arms or economic bribery or both.

America, because of its huge economic power, has missed a glorious opportunity to be seen as a power for good and justice and Bush has thrown it all away and is now reviled by at least two thirds of the world's population.

Hugh Pender, Darlington.

TINNITUS

RE the article by Gabrielle Fagan (Echo, Feb 17) on the subject of tinnitus. I have lived with it for over 40 years.

I was first smitten with the dreaded curse as a lorry driver, when, coupling the air pipes that operate the braking system on the trailers, I could hear this hissing sound.

I assumed there was a leak in the system. This was a source of worry to me and other drivers would check and assure me there were no leaks of air.

The fault that never was now convinced me I was going mad. I didn't hang about waiting for those boys in white coats.

I went to see the doctor and explained the symptoms. He diagnosed tinnitus and said there is no cure or treatment, you must learn to live with it.

All was not lost. My wife and I went on a continental holiday and used the ferry crossing to Belgium. After a short time at sea my tinnitus disappeared but I had taken on board the drone of the ship's engines. Throughout our holiday the noise stayed in my head. This was food for thought.

If I imagined being on board ship with the constant drone of engines, with no escape, 24 hours per day, or living next door to a power station, I would defeat tinnitus, and this I have done.

I can sleep soundly for six hours and at my age - I was born on June 8, 1917 - what more could one ask?

GW Bainbridge, Hartlepool.

PIMPS CHARTER

DOESN'T New Labour ever learn? First of all it declassified the drug cannabis which, as we all know, is now used as a recreational drug by far too many of our young people.

Then it ignores expert opinion on 24-hour drinking. Now it plans to legalise "mini brothels" under the ridiculous title of "co-ordinated prostitution strategy".

This means that up to three women can ply their trade in flats and houses anywhere without fear of prosecution. (Let's hope the house at 8 Downing Street does not go up for sale soon.)

They might just as well have named it the "pimps charter". This present Labour Party cannot see a problem without botching it.

Barbara L Dunne, Whinney Banks.

CARTOON FURY

FORGIVE my naivet but I thought that the message of our Saviour was about appeasement and if so-called political correctness, which seems to me to be all things to all men, means having due regard for the feelings of our neighbour, then this second commandment covers that also.

Incidentally, drawing silly cartoons ridiculing a prophet said to convey the word of God to millions of believers offends me greatly, and I claim to be a Christian.

In the words of the founder of our church: "Father (or Allah) forgive them, for they not what they do."

D Lonsdale, Ripon.

TAXI DRIVERS

HOW wrong Christopher Wardell is about the taxi driver he got to take him home (Echo, Feb 18).

I travel with this firm every week and have no complaints. These Czech Republic drivers have months of training before going onto the roads. I have always found them polite and courteous, and very smart and friendly.

The reason these Czech Republic drivers are here is because taxi firms can't recruit drivers from our own town.

The three taxi drivers who are unemployed can't have been up to standard for the firm I have travelled with.

Christopher Wardell often writes to The Northern Echo. May I suggest he does some volunteer work, as I do, then he won't have time to write letters and criticise people as he does.

R Watson, Darlington.

ID CARDS

PRIME Minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown cites the fact that Mohammed Atta, the 9/11 leader, had multiple passports as justification for UK ID cards.

This is irrelevant. Anyone reading the report of the US 9/11 Commission (as I have, cover to cover) would know the US authorities missed far more clues than one man's multiple identities.

Nor is there any evidence that the 7/7 bombers would have been caught if they had ID cards. Mr Brown has also claimed three more plots have been foiled since then - without the ID cards.

The Government proposes a system which will be of great cost and inconvenience to ordinary citizens, taking away long cherished liberties. The money and effort would be better employed improving safety and security in other tried and tested ways.

Robin Ashby, NE says NO2ID, Newcastle.

STYLE QUEEN OF THE CATWALK?

KATE Moss - the most stylish British woman of all time (Echo, Feb 21)?

Has All Fools' Day come early this year?

Peter Elliott, Eaglescliffe.

SMOKE FREE

I WOULD like to say a huge thank you to MPs who voted to ban smoking in all public places.

This has to be a case of sense prevailing and justice being done and a huge step forward for the health of present and future generations.

The proposals in Labour's manifesto would have been grossly unfair on a particular section of the population and would have had the impact of increasing inequalities between those with and those without.

Now workers in all workplaces will be protected from second-hand smoke, something that is shown to kill. I can't think of any other occasion when government has had to vote on whether to protect the workforce from a cancer-causing substance.

Never mind the libertarian argument, government should be interfering to protect the rights of all workers to work in a safe environment. Health and safety is paramount and non-smokers have rights too.

Two years after the introduction of the ban I look forward to reports in your newspapers on the positive impact this law will have had. Workers, who would otherwise have had to suffer working in unsafe environments, will be reaping the health benefits.

Iain Miller, Chair Northern ASH, Durham.

TRAFFIC SCHEME

WELL done to Mayor Ray Mallon for proposing an innovative traffic scheme for Marton Road in Middlesbrough (Echo, Feb 17).

My wife works at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and my business is based on a business park in Darlington. Both locations suffer from rush hour traffic problems.

Mayor Mallon's proposal to alter the lanes system and remove street furniture is simple and practical. His longer term plan for a relief road is also the right approach.

The contrast with Darlington could not be greater. In Darlington, the major roads have become corridors of misery. The council has spent years slowing the traffic down by spending on bus lanes and cycleways instead of roads.

They are re-laying pavements in Yarm Road and Haughton Road, but there is no investment on new roads or any policy to speed up congested traffic.

Mayor Mallon recognises that, although travelling by bus, cycle or foot is environmentally desirable, many people must use a car. By driving an environmentally friendly car himself, he realises the answer to CO2 emissions is new technology, not restricting choice by snarling up traffic.

The politically correct anti-car policies at Darlington Borough Council are making matters worse for everyone. When people are late for work due to traffic jams, the cost to the local economy is massive. Better roads and innovative traffic flows are as much a part of the answer as investing in bus routes.

When Mayor Mallon is finished, my wife's journey into work will be much improved, mine will remain just as slow.

Graham Robb, Middleton St George.

WHERE'S KATE?

I AM wondering if you can help me? I have lost touch with my dear friend Kate Walker (nee Glasper). I lost her number when my mobile phone was stolen.

We met in Spain in 1994. She has two daughters, Janine and Lindsay. I used to live in Barking, but I'm unsure if she received my new address.

Should Kate contact you, or if you have any other query, my contact telephone number is (01268) 544797.

I hope you can help me to get back in touch with Kate.

Kath Pykett, 26 Lippits Hill, Langdon Hills, Essex, SS16 6LN.

NOT OUR FAULT

ACCORDING to reports in many newspapers the 200 pensioners received last year in council tax rebate is to be withdrawn. With whatever increase councils, the police, or fire service add to next year's bills, this is bound to increase our council tax by well over the rate of inflation, something that will not happen to our pensions.

It is said that politicians are clever people and Gordon Brown has, to some extent, proved this. By giving us a so-called free bus pass, which is to be funded, in part, by withdrawing a long established service of allowing children free transport to school, Mr Brown has set one section of society against another.

When pensioners protest about this rise it is now quite possible that parents of schoolchildren will think "those whingeing pensioners are never satisfied. They've taken away our children's right to a free bus service, now they want support in their fight for a fair council tax system".

Believe me, if we had have known that our supposed benefit was to be at the expense of schoolchildren we would rather have done without it, after all many of these children are our own grandchildren or great grand children.

Gordon Brown recently suggested that we should have a Great Britain Day. Why not, let us all stand together and show politicians that all we want is a level playing field.

After all, if pensions and the average working wage kept up with MPs' salaries we would not need any extra benefits.

DC Elsom, Secretary Derwentside Pensioners' Association, Annfield Plain.

RUBBISH MINEFIELD

I SEE that English Heritage has enlisted the good ladies of the Women's Institute in Carlisle in a programme to identify and remove the plethora of unnecessary signage, garbage and detritus that is cluttering the streets.

What a field day they would have in Bishop Auckland. Newgate Street and its environs are a veritable minefield of illegal pavement signs which obstruct and impede even the most able-bodied of us.

Every upright pole has some irrelevant sign banded to it. I say irrelevant because they do not conform to the latest rules and regulations, are repeated ad nauseam and mostly because the motorist, to whom they are addressed, ignore them knowing that, with the complicity of non-effective policing, why should they bother?

Much time and money was spent recently to make the town centre friendly and accessible for all. What a joke. Dropped kerbs are not for the benefit of the less able, no they are ramps for 'white van man' to mount the pavement to illegally park and deliver, especially to stores with loading bays at the rear of the premises provided in some part by public funding.

Beggars, fly posters and street grazers are other irritants to the pedestrian who often has to wade ankle deep in discarded food containers, much of which provides free sustenance for the increasing numbers of pigeons.

Surely the great and the good see this when they deign to grace us with their presence? If they do not, perhaps it is time that local councillors used what limited powers they have to bring about a town centre that has little of this invasive, gratuitous, and garrulous graffiti as is possible.

Not only will it make a more comfortable and pleasant shopping area, it might just stop the haemorrhaging of my taxes on wasteful projects that do little or nothing to enhance the urban environment.

David T Colling, Bishop Auckland.

A TAIL OF TWO TUFTIES

THERE is much concern about the American grey squirrels taking over the woods from the English red squirrels.

In fact, grey squirrels are being shot in great numbers to prevent the reds being eliminated.

We have dogs, cattle, horses and many other farm species that have been bred from the best examples of their breeds.

Why not capture some reds and some greys and breed another species of squirrel which contain the best parts of both?

If they will not mate naturally it could be done medically.

E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.