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■' r- .? •/ > ’ Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, July 1st, 2004 www.clitheroetoday.co.uk


Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


www.ciitheroetoday.co.uk


Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, July 1 st, 2004 23


Letters to the Editor — Write to: The Editor, Clithcroc Advertiser and Times, 3 King Street, Clitheroe BB72EW Editorial e-mail: vivien.meath@eastlancsncws.co.uk My heartfelt thanks


to an honest person I WOULD like to record my gratitude to the honest person who returned my lost wallet the other week. I was hopeful that it would be handed


in somewhere, so I had it reported miss­ ing with the police and at Shackletons which was the last place I remembered having it. I also had my bank and credit cards stopped as I thought you can't be too careful. However, I was not only pleased that


someone took the time and trouble to return my wallet to my home address, but I was also very pleasantly surprised that none of its contents was missing. There was a small amount of cash that no one had helped themselves to despite the fact that my wallet had been recov­ ered from a place I hadn't been. Many thanks to the wallet returner for


being observant, honest and conscien­ tious. I hope that he is an example of good neighbourliness to all of us.


MARK SLEET, Pindcr Close, Waddington


AHERN E’S of hellifield Ltd THE AHERNE’S SUMMER


Dump this tacky sign from our village!


I AM sure there must be somebody in West Bradford who actually likes the "tacky" sign on the millennium stone. However, I have yet to meet any­


one who defends it other than the vil­ lage commitee. Their attitude is that we are stuck


with it unless we stump up the cash for something else. Apparently there was a meeting


five years ago to discuss a commemo­ rative stone and plaque. I am led to believe this was the


choice of those who turned up! Who are they?


Surely we should be proud of our


millennium stone. In my opinion, carving “WEST


Easy way to stop


nuisance calls I HAVE just read an article warning about telephone calls. I do get usually one at weekend at


Menswear & Ladies Fashions


Further reductions


throughout the store THE GREEN


HELLIFIELD, SKIPTON, NORTH YORKSHIRE


0 1 7 2 9 8 5 0 2 0 1 web: x


www.ahernes-of-hellifield.co.uk email:


info@ahernes-of-hellifield.co.uk


night telling me I have won a prize. I state "rubbish" and the phone goes down at once. I am not interested and have


stopped many of these troublesome and very dangerous calls.


ALICE HASLEWOOD, Clitheroe


Your letters . . . ® Tile Editor welcomes letters on any subject, but correspondents are reminded that contributions may be edited or condensed, must not exceed 350 words and should reach us by noon on Tuesday. Letters with noms dc plume are now


only accepted for publication if the edi­ tor agrees that there is a valid reason for the writer's identity to be withheld. Letters can be sent by post to the


Clilheroe Advertiser and Times, 3 King Street, Clithcroe BI57 2EW, via c- mail to vivien.meath@eastlanc- snews.co.uk, via fax to 01200 443467 or texted to 07799690447. Letters submitted by any of these


methods must, however, include the writer’s name and full postal address.


BRADFORD” into the face of the stone would be a cost effective way of removing this embarrassing let down. Last year we won the Best Kept


Village competition, and the same people responsible for this sign have worked hard planting, weeding and maintaining the gardens around our stone. If they have received even a frac­


tion of the negative opinion about the white bordered picture as I have they will surely not want it to cast a bad light on their hard work and put things right.


SEAN CONLON, Orchard Villas, West Bradford


Hitting lawful has


no effect on crime LAST week the Government pub­ lished a consultation paper, “Con­ trols on Firearms”, with an empha­ sis on tackling the escalating prob­ lem of inner city gun crime and funding to community projects to counter urban “gun culture”. But when you read the consulta­


tion it is revealed not as a serious attempt to get to the root of “gun culture”, which we would all sup­ port, but as a platform for the anti­ gun lobby to push for restrictions on legitimate firearms. I t completely ignores a proven


and accepted fact about gun crime - there is no link between legitimate licensed firearms and illegal gun use. Reports from the King's College


Centre for Defence Studies and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constab­ ulary have both found that current controls are effective in keeping legitimate firearms out of the hands of those with criminal intent. Crimes involving handguns, for


instance, have doubled since their legal possession was banned. So why has the Government hint­


ed a t further restrictions on the legitimate possession and use of firearms when they know it will have no impact on gun crime?


Is it because they know that while


the social problems of inner city Britain persist gun crime will inevitably continue to rise? The Labour Party manifesto said


that it had no intention of restricting the sport of shooting and we will seek to hold them to that commit­ ment. Legislation based on principle and evidence will have our support. Proposals to restrict legitimate


gun use just because the Govern­ ment need to be seen to be doing “something” about gun crime will not.


SIMON HART, Chief Executive, Countryside Alliance 367 Kennington Road London, SE11 4PT


Calling old pupils


of Darwen Tech SOME old students and former teachers of Darwen Secondary Tech­ nical School are organising a reunion for staff and pupils who attended the school between 1946 and 1972 - the years of the lifespan of the school which was merged with another after that. Because of the way education in


Lancashire was organised during those years, people travelled long dis­ tances to attend “The Tech”, and a number came from Clitheroe, Whal- ley, Barrow and Lamb Roe areas. We held our first reunion in the


1990’s, and our second four years ago, both great successes. Some people


renewed acquaintances after 50 years. Now we have arranged another for


Saturday, October 30th, to be held at Darwen Golf Club from 7-30 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are £10 each, which


includes a buffet supper and dancing. Numbers are restricted so it will be


a case of first come, first served, but partners are welcome.


Anyone who would like tickets


should telephone Sally Haworth on (01254) 701375 or Doreen Rostron on (01706) 876950.


MRS LINDA CHATBURN, Ambleside Drive, Darwen


Bring in screening


for young drivers WITH regard to the item in last week's Clitheroe Advertiser and


Times: "Banned two hours after pass­ ing test". Many Approved Driving Instruc­


tors (ADIs) have thought for some considerable time that learner drivers should have to pass a "common sense" test before being issued with a provi­ sional driving licence. Had this been the case, I believe that the young driv­ er mentioned would never have been allowed anywhere near a driving school car, let alone take a driving test. People like him are a danger to all


other road users, as the crash statistics have proved year after year. It's time that the Government took


notice and set in motion a screening system that would weed out such peo­ ple, before they have a chance to cause mayhem among road users.


RUSSELL JONES, Musters Road, Bingham, Nottingham


Who said ‘yes’ to


this huge edifice? AS residents of West Bradford for many years, might we inquire who gave planning permission for the three-storey house being constructed on Chapel Lane, on a plot the size of a postage stamp? To call it an eyesore is an understatement and it has com­ pletely spoilt what was a rural coun­ try lane in the centre of the village. ■ This enormous dwelling completely


overwhelms other properties in Chapel Lane and dominates the sky­ line of West Bradford from every side. We understand Ribble Valley


turned down planning permission and can only assume Lancashire County Council’s did not visit the site before they overruled Ribble Valley. A copy of this letter has gone to


Nigel Evans, with a hope he can come up with some answers as it is beyond belief th a t genuine house extension plans are often turned down and then something this size gets the go-ahead.


JANET AND CHRIS HULME, Southfield Drive, West Bradford


Try your hand at IT exercises


IF you want to try your hand at computers for the first time or sim­ ply want to brush up on your IT skills, now you have the perfect opportunity to do so. An open day is being held on


Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Database IT Learning Centre, in Henthorn Road, to raise aware­ ness of the facilities at the centre. The event will give visitors an


opportunity to discover the range of courses and the friendly and sup­


portive learning environment pro­ vided by the staff. Despite the closure of the Skill


Share scheme at the end of the month, Database will continue to


offer quality IT training for all ages and abilities. The community service has been running for a number of years and


qualified trainers are always on hand to offer a wide range of sub­ jects from complete novice users to ECDL/Advance ECDL to comput­ er hardware maintenance courses. The organisation specialises in


working with people with physical and learning difficulties. Database continues to develop


and respond to the needs of the com­ munity and as such, has started to recycle old computers and distribute them back into the community free of charge. Staff at the centre are currently


working alongside organisations in the community providing IT train­ ing, aiming at the very specific needs of their client group. To find out more go along to the open day and see what Database IT Learning Centre can offer you.


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OFF QUILTS, PILLOWS, TOWELS & PAINT ALL STOCK IS SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT OR DISCONTINUED


WIDOW HILL RD


BRANDS AT HOME BURNLEY


Heasandford Ind. Estate


IN response to Zoe Houston's com­ ments - isn't it ironic that in the very issue that Zoe Houston has a "dig" at my letter contents, in which she ques­ tions my observations about the traf­ fic congestion, especially around the Church Brow area, approximately one- third of the front page of that very issue supplies the answer. Also, in that very same issue, page 3


provides photographic proof, in my mind anyway, that there isn't really a


This page one photograph proves my point need for council chamber use for this


prayer group. Having.been in the building in Hold­


en Street myself, on a few occasions, I can honestly say that if this is their regular group, then Holden Street would be more than adequate, without the need for additional rooms etc.


being built. As for my "silly" remark about any


group who might benefit from using the council chamber, on a short-term


basis, offering a weekly donation to local charities, I stand by that com­ ment as well. I also take an affront at the fact that


even though they might be council tax payers, I suggest that without some kind of monetary outlay this could be deemed as a "perk." After all, this chamber, as well as the


civic hall and the baths etc. wouldn't be functioning without council tax payers' monies being "diverted" to shore up these concerns. Are there not entry fees to these premises?


GEORGE A. REYNOLDS, Milton Road, Whallev


I’ve addressed all


these issues before THE points raised by Zoe Houston last week on immigration and bogus/economic asylum seekers I have dealt with in previous letters. Although I would just add that only


recently this Labour government wel­ comed in many Eastern European immigrants on counterfeit documents. Home Office Minister Beverley Hugh­ es had to resign for misleading Parlia­ ment over this shambles, even after Blair and Blunkett robustly defended


her. Whatever next will Labour think of?


Importing votes, maybe? I t is a fact that if you want to get insulted, just write letters to the press


saying why you are against immigra­ tion and bogus asylum seekers. For instance, my critic writes: "Immi­ grants came here to undertake the work people like yourself did not want to do". Really Zoe? From the age of 121 have worked in


the following industries: Engineering, building, coal(man), cotton and steel. I've worked in the retail trade and done stints in the Army and Merchant Navy. I can honestly say I've never been afraid of doing any hard/dirty


jobs. So come on Zoe Houston, just what's


been your contribution to the British economy? BERT HARDWICK,


Queensway, Waddington


Rather confused


outlook on life! IN a letter printed in last week's news­ paper, written by Zoe Houston, I noticed confusion about refugees in the UK not wanting to be here and how low the benefits are. In the letter, she referred to Mr


Hardwick, who I believe was trying to make the point of refugees crossing numerous safe countries in order to reach Britain. Without question some refugees have faced difficulties, but why are they crossing a whole conti­ nent of safe countries to reach what is relatively a tiny island?


On the point of low benefits for


them, by our standards they are quite low, but if you translated the amount of benefit into their currency, it turns


out to be a high wage. Other benefits include well-furnished


homes, free TV and licensing and a whole plethora of life's little luxuries. Another part of her letter I picked


up on was "the majority of benefits are claimed by white British who cannot be bothered to get off their backsides." Apart from the racial implications, this statement suggests to me she has never had the indignity of having to go to the Job Centre looking for work because some unfortunate circum­ stance has put an individual in that position. I think given the choice of working


and gaining experience in a certain field while making new friends and earning a "decent crust" appeals to the vast majority rather than professional thumb-twiddling gaining a pittance! In a latter part of the letter she sug­


gests that Mr Reynolds should convert to Buddhism to gain inner peace so he didn't have to worry about where cer­ tain religious people pray - right after going into great detail explaining why having the council chamber for pray­ ing Muslims was a "super idea." All in all, it seemed a letter from a


very confused person with a rather jumbled grasp on the real world.


PAULFRANKLAND, Hcnlhorn Road, Clilheroe


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