Sad about Elvis and anger at Metro - your views (From Keighley News)

Sad about Elvis and anger at Metro - your views

8:00am Thursday 4th June 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(1)

Living in a namby-pamby state

I am writing to you say how sad and angered I was to read your article “Elvis the parrot has left the district”. I cannot believe the mean spirited, over reaction of some of the people who live in “my” village.

Elvis has been a source of enjoyment to me, my neighbours and my extended family, plus visitors to my home for a number of years. I completely agree with Mr Whitaker that he brought fun and colour to the village, he made Wilsden a talking point, he was out of the ordinary; he was fun to watch and he really enjoyed his freedom; how very sad that people cannot just enjoy something different. Yes, there has been minor damage to property (very little over many years, I might add) all paid for as stated. As for Elvis terrifying an elderly gentleman and his three-year-old grandson, what a load of old tosh! Being “middle aged” I still have all my faculties and I cannot conceive of a time in my dotage when I would be “terrified” by a bird of any shape or form.

I have had the privilege of seeing Elvis do his aerobatics on numerous occasions while walking my dog and very entertaining it is too, he swoops down to at least all of 15ft from the ground, he is loud, its not offensive, it is a squawk! Elvis is a parrot for God’s sake not a pterodactyl!

I cannot believe we live in such a namby pamby state, where “off duty police officers” have nothing better to do than contact the likes of Bradford Council’s anti-social behaviour team to complain about a parrot (and I cannot believe they in turn would actually act upon it).

In my opinion the police and the anti-social behaviour team should do what they are paid to do and stop wasting mine and other taxpayers money!

Lastly, I am sure his owners are very upset at having to banish him to the “South” but I hope he entertains the people there as much as he did in Wilsden, I will miss him this summer.

Liz Stowell

Wilsden

D-Day new low for premiership

As an ex-soldier, but no doubt in common with a great many other local residents across Keighley and Ilkley, I am appalled at Gordon Brown’s apparently willing failure to secure an invitation for Her Majesty The Queen to Saturday’s D-Day 65th anniversary commemorations in France — in case she over-shadows his own regal presence.

The Queen has no official engagements on Saturday and Buckingham Palace has made clear it would have accepted an invitation had one been forthcoming.

Speaking last weekend, Mr Brown defended the situation saying that the event was intended, “for prime ministers and presidents.”

It must therefore have escaped his attention that presidents, like kings and queens, are heads of state, meaning Her Majesty should certainly be there.

But that, of course, would mean the Queen standing alongside Presidents Obama and Sarkozy rather than the Prime Minister himself.

Gordon Brown’s premiership has long since descended into farce but this, in my view, takes it to an entirely new low. Let’s hope both veterans and the media can shame the Prime Minister into yet another characteristic U-turn.

Kris Hopkins

Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Keighley and Ilkley

Editor’s note: Since the letter arrived Clarence House has confirmed Prince Charles is to attend the commemorations in Normandy. The prince was invited by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Bay walk for audio books

Spaces are still available on the Keighley and District Association for the Blind walk across Morecambe Bay, on Saturday, 20th June.

The event called the Morecambe Bay Sea Walk will be led by Cedric Robinson, the official Queen’s Guide. Proceeds will go to the “Hear Say” Library Project, which aim’s to raise £2,000 to update the audio book library.

The association supports 330 registered blind and partially sighted people in the Keighley area. More than 1,356 audio tape titles have been donated over the years and they have given much pleasure to blind and partially sighted people but are now wearing out. We intend to transcribe them on to CD and the event is to raise funds to buy additional transcribing equipment.

For further information about the walk phone 01535 602354 or e-mail enquiries@keighleyblind.org.

Kevin Baldwin

Chief Executive

Search for old army pal

I wonder if you could help me trace an old friend through your letters page.

His name is Norman French, originally from Keighley, and he served with me on National Service in the Royal Artillery from 1957 to 1959.

We trained together at Rhyl and were then posted to Detmald and then Hahne, in Germany.

He would be 71 now and I know he had an older brother called Billy.

I will be visiting Yorkshire in late June and it would be great to see Norman again if he is still in the area.

E Darling,

33 Myrtle Road, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 9HX

Hell-bent on profit levels

Metro is warning that the number of fare-paying bus passengers in West Yorkshire could drop by more than 5 per cent in general and as much as 10 per cent on certain routes as a result of fare rises, reductions in frequency and large-scale service cuts.

Research carried out by us at Metro indicates that bus operator First could lose significant numbers of customers as the combined effects of an 8 per cent fare rise in January 2008 and a further 8 per cent in July 2008, reductions by 20 to 25 per cent in service frequencies and cuts to services are felt.

Current legislation means Metro can’t shape bus services and that these decisions lie entirely with the operators, but our concern is the long-term integrity of the public transport network. By contrast First’s approach is entirely short-term and seems fixated on increasing profit levels today rather than growing the business in the long-term.

Of course commercial companies need to make a profit but they have to cut their cloth to suit the economic climate and many are currently accepting reduced margins.

First, however, seems hell-bent on increasing profit levels no matter what the cost to services and passengers.

It’s certainly not the role of Metro to subsidise those high profit rises for First’s shareholders from the public purse.

When many people in our communities on the lowest incomes rely upon buses to travel to work and get access to services, it is alarming to think that they are at the mercy of companies who can’t see or think beyond their own noses.

If we have reached the stage where bus operators are incapable of considering the needs of their customers, making commercial decisions and planning for the future, it’s maybe time for a shake-up in the industry.

Councillor Chris Greaves Metro Chairman

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(1)