A clarification about the market

I would like to take the opportunity to clarify some points regarding statements made on the front page of the paper (October 4) regarding Keighley market.

In my role as executive member for regeneration on Bradford Council, I have a role to play in the future development of the market's service. There is a determined will to continue investing in this valuable service to make sure that the traders and their customers have the best environment.

The council has already spent a significant amount of public money on new doors, heating system and redecorating. None of this has been done to the detriment of the tenants nor has it detracted from the traditional feel of a market.

At a recent meeting with some of the tenants, I made a statement which has now been distorted from the truth. My opening comment was "do not take this as an ultimatum but I would like a decision to be made by Christmas so that funds can be allocated".

It was also made very clear that council officers would continue to negotiate a compromise of stall sizes and locations so that as many differing views could be accommodated.

Having to compromise will no doubt leave some people with a negative impression of the proposed improvements but I hope that the majority of tenants will see the benefits.

It is testament to Keighley, the tenants and the market's service that some stallholders have been there for over 20 years and what everyone wants to see is this market continuing to thrive. I now hope that a solution can be put forward and that together we can plan for the future refurbishment of the market.

Cllr Andrew Mallinson, Aireburn Avenue, Steeton.

Appalled at lack of bins

Having acquired a dog recently and needing to walk him in the park near to my home, I've been appalled to see that we have no bins for the disposal of dog waste.

I have been following this up with our local parks' services only to be told that we can't afford a bin. I just can't believe this but find that other people have previously complained about the same problem and it has been discussed at other council meetings throughout the area, without any success.

Surely this is a disgrace in the 21st century. Perhaps the KN could draw attention to this problem.

This policy of no bins affects all parks in the district. It has to be a health issue too!

Andrea Foster, Highfield Farm Cottage, near Highfield, Oakworth.

Putting record straight

With regard to the comments in your entertainments page last week about The Strollers once having been Richie Valens' backing group, I would like to put the record straight (if you'll pardon the pun).

Richie Valens was killed in a plane crash on the night of February 3, 1959, along with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.

The Strollers, some years later and under their new name The Norsemen, backed the singer Ricky Valance. Ricky had a hit with the controversial song "Tell Laura I Love Her" which was number one for three weeks in September 1960 and stayed in the charts for a further 13 weeks.

I was fortunate enough to meet him on two occasions. The first time was in 1962, when he appeared at the Essoldo Cinema, in Keighley, as one of the support artists to the late great Gene Vincent.

It was on that day that he agreed to become an honorary member of the very popular Keighley youth club Crotona, which was at the bottom of Mornington Street.

The second time we met was when the Norsemen appeared at one of the great Keighley Technical College dances held in the 60s, where he performed a number of songs, including his smash hit. He is currently alive and well and living on the Costa Blanca, Spain, where he is still performing regularly.

Geoff Berry Mannville Road, Keighley

Dedicated elite athletes

The recent success of the athletes from Bradford and Keighley representing Great Britain at The Special Olympic Games, in Shanghai, is tremendous for the district.

However, you would not think that it had even happened as far as the media in general was concerned. If just one person from the district had been going to Beijing in "The ordinary Olympics" it would have had massive coverage as I remember with the fencing woman from Bradford some years ago.

Bradford Sports have had super coverage when we were fundraising to enable the athletes to take part and the public from Bradford and district came up trumps for them, raising over £12,000.

If the Disability Discrimination Act service providers covered the media they would certainly be giving a less favourable service to disabled people who take part in sport.

Our athletes are not "cute people" they are dedicated elite athletes in their own right with training schedules and targets to meet.

The coverage in general nationally has been virtually non-existent - again a lack of understanding by the media in general.

Locally we are well supported but have to fight for it and we do bring good news to the area for a change.

This is not a moan or attack on the press but a cry for help to recognise the achievements of our disabled sportsmen and women.

I know that nobody is doing this deliberately and mean well but please think again.

Barry Thorne Bradford Disability Sport and Leisure

Editor's Note: The Keighley News has a firm policy on this issue.

Our coverage, participation and support of not only these athletes, but of all issues, speaks for itself.

If you would like to add your congratulations to the athletes, click on "comment" and follow the simple instructions and tell us what you think.

Putting choir in picture

Steeton Male Voice Choir celebrates its centenary next year and accordingly, seeks to assemble as much of its history as it can.

Among photgraphs that have been donated recently are some of the founding musical director of the Steen Male Glee Union, Hume Wrathall, in his garden at "Craglands", Eastburn, with his wife and mother.

It is suspected they were taken by Bruce Johnson, whose obituary in the Keighley News, December 21, 1957, reveals that he was an expert photographer, the owner of a toy shop in Keighley, a founder of the local Caledonian Society, a stalwart of the Keighley and Sutton amatuer operatic societies, a very active member of the Keighley Chapter of Judea and the Plains of Rama and an enthusiastic member of the the Keighley Esperanto Society.

Steeton Male Voice Choir would be most grateful for any recollections by people who knew Bruce and the sight of papers, photographs etc that could link him to the Steeton choir. Are there any leads please, to his son and daughter.

DR PETER LOFTS, Archivist, 01535 634388

Gordon was always kidding

When Gordon Brown presented his final budget, he was accused of employing "smoke and mirrors", 18 months later he has repeated the act.

David Cameron becomes leader of his party, spending two years on changing the image of the Tories. He is accused of lacking any policy but wisely declines serious involvement until Blair's departure provides the real opponent.

The Tories have been in the political dessert for ten years, so the wily Brown creates a false mirage of a forest of ballot boxes, during the conference season. This creates an illusion of a pending General Election. Cameron's team play their aces and shoot up the polls but Gordon was always kidding, has any PM with such a big majority and three years to run ever gone to the country?

The Darling Brown combo unashamedly pinch the Conservatives best ideas and rubbish the remainder. What a professional political opponent the Tories face at Westminster. The PM is unmercifully taking all the advantages.

What of Tory strategy now? Return to the lightweight no policy mode and drop down the polls? Or keep up the momentum of bright ideas to be hand picked by this opportunist Labour Government, what a dilemma.

ALAN CHAPMAN Woodview Cottage, Beck Lane, Bingley.

Waiting for apology

Cllr Mallinson plays a straight bat in response to the police statement on the alleged irregularities during last May's local election in Keighley Central Ward.

To continue with the cricketing metaphor, if he was the umpire for his side last May, he obviously didn't see the shenanigans going on behind his back.

However, the more worrying thing is that neither he, Cllr Hopkins, nor anyone else from his party has seen fit to respond to Mark Taylor's request for an apology and condemnation of the behaviour which according to the police clearly did take place.

If the Conservative Party does not come out against "electoral malpractice and intimidation", the people of Keighley will draw the appropriate conclusion and I, for one, will be carrying a camera and a tape recorder during next May's campaign.

Trevor Lindley Newlyn Road, Riddlesden

Keighley deserves answers

You have to wonder where our local MP has been over the summer months and indeed over the years that she has reigned over Keighley? Why has she suddenly felt the need to single out and try to gauge residents feelings on three separate issues?

Is it because her sidekick, Mark Taylor, and his woefully inadequate Labour councillors are not up to the job? Is it because she no longer resides in the constituency and spends a large amount of the tax payers money commuting around the country?

What Keighley deserves are answers and solutions to these and other issues that have dogged this constituency for years. It is her Government that is now dictating a housing policy that will see developments eating into out green field sites. It is her Government that has reduced the health service to one where patients are at risk from contracting fatal diseases; and, despite numerous drugs initiatives the problem is still on our streets.

Now that Anne's boss, Gordon Brown, has wobbled at the thought of going for a snap election, can we be assured that she will not wobble from providing solutions?

Finally, if our MP is to try and represent her constituency then lets at least have a more recent photograph of her, rather than the one portrayed in her advert, then we might have a chance of recognising her on the street.

ANDREW MALLINSON Chairman of the Keighley and Ilkley Conservative Association, Churchill House, North Street, Keighley

Only two lines for comment

I was amazed to see an advertisement by Ann Cryer asking for our views on three different topics, that she intended to raise at Parliment.

What amazed me was the size of the advert. It was a half page, the funny thing being; a photo of Ann Cryer took up a quarter of the page, leaving just two lines per topics.

I would love to know why we had to see such a big picture? Surely it would make sense to leave more space for comments?

Azeem Hussain Banks Lane Riddlesden