Disturbed by Nazi uniforms

I write regarding the Haworth 40s Weekend: or as it now seems to be, the Haworth WWII Weekend. Is anyone else disturbed by the increasing number of people attending, dressed in Nazi uniforms? And some of those displaying what I assume are neo-Nazi emblems?

Should the weekend not reflect Britain in the 40s/WWII? How many Nazis would have been seen swaggering in the streets of Haworth during the war? And is the armband of Hitler’s signature not a more modern artifact?

And the man dressed as a Jewish refugee: I know this country has a less than spotless record of treatment of Jews but I think someone would have told him that he didn’t need to wear a yellow star.

But what I found most disturbing was the “arresting” of this man by two “Nazi officers” and the scrum of cameramen vying for a vantage point to record it. I’d be the first to agree that we must never forget The Holocaust and the death of six million innocent people, but I’m not sure that’s the way to do it.

I believe the weekend was instigated by the Haworth traders to attract tourists and have a bit of fun but I wonder how many of them would like to be associated with these neo-Nazis.

If I go to next year’s weekend I will be sure to challenge anyone dressed as officers of the SS, Gestapo etc.

Ralph M Butcher

Address supplied

Tasteless strutting

Haworth’s 1940s Weekend is obviously a huge attraction and must have some educational value, though I don’t remember the Second World War as being fun.

And call me a kill joy if you wish, but I think the sight of Nazi SS officers in tailor-made uniforms strutting about in Haworth is pretty tasteless. If the Germans had won it wouldn’t have been fun.

Ian Dewhirst

Raglan Avenue, Keighley.

Seams were out of line

I would like take this opportunity to thank the organisers of this year's Haworth 40s Weekend for yet another brilliant show.

The range of vehicles was excellent as were the large variety of uniforms, etc. The large crowds of people who attended were so obviously enjoying themselves and so a good time was being had by all.

There were only two little flies in the ointment — firstly, I was a youngster during the war and when I asked one of my older sisters what she was singing she said: “Mares, eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy, a kid’ll eat ivy too, wouldn’t you?" This was translated into some form of “Keighley gaelic” and so in the Haworth Gazette came out as “Mairzy doats and dozy doats and Lambzy Divy”. The second niggle I had was this, one of the favours I had to do for my three older sisters was to stand behind them, one at a time, and check if their stocking seams were straight, as in “the right one’s okay but the left has to go round a bit towards the middle.

Okay cherub here’s a pandrop and a kiss on the nose, we’ll see you when we get back from the pictures.

I know it makes me look sad but I was upset at the number of women wearing stockings whose seams looked like the path out to Brontë falls, ie, up the side of their legs and everywhere.

Not to worry. Thanks again for a superb show; I’m looking forward to the next one already.

Bram Leitch,

Carlton Street, Haworth.

A phoney protest

The totally phoney protest of David McKay regarding the strapline “Keighley – Capital of Airedale” betrays either sheer stupidity or maybe something more sinister.

The concept of Keighley as Capital of Airedale was coined by Ove Arup Consultants some five years ago in the Airedale Masterplan. They actually said; “Keighley will become the administrative and regeneration capital for Airedale”.

The town centre association (KTCA) has been using the same expression for at least the last 18 months. The bus museum (KBMT) has had a red double decker running around the town with the same strapline on both sides for the last 12 months; and now the town council is using it as a masthead.

So the big question is, if David MacKay did not object when Ove Arup, KTCA and KBMT used the expression (and he most certainly did not) then why, oh why is he objecting now and in such a bogus emotional manner?

Is the answer actually rather sinister? David McKay is well-known locally as an activist for a mainstream political party. Can it be that the “Keighley – Capital of Airedale” strapline is actually quite irrelevant and that McKay is merely hitting out because his political party has a silent agenda?

Amjad Zaman

Highfield Lane, Keighley

Equally presumptuous

I’m not sure the town council’s strategy and policy committee (S&P) is as clever as Mr McKay, otherwise it might have thought of his tagline of “the Heart of Airedale” first. However, something like this may be considered equally presumptuous and could cause a rush of communities queuing to be the eyes, kidneys and even backside of Airedale!

The S&P thrashed around trying to think of a name for the new magazine and with little imagination lifted the title "Keighley" from a number of other products and organisations.

It seemed reasonable to use the big red CAPITAL K as it required little thought and has been used to represent all things “Keighley”. Also with uncharacteristic flair the S&P decreed “Big capital K + Town in Airedale = CAPITAL of Airedale.”

Imagine my horror though when I realised that even this single piece of original thinking was indeed lifted from someone else's documents. The Airedale Masterplan was commissioned for and accepted by Bradford Council as the blueprint for this area.

In section 2 it summarises the vision for Keighley by stating that: “Keighley will become the administrative and regeneration capital for Airedale ...” A worthy sentiment and something the town council is keen to do, even though Mr McKay apparently disagrees with it.

However, I would ask Mr McKay to pass on my apologies to his close allies within the political leadership of Bradford Council for stealing its Capital strapline!

Tony Wright

Chairman, Strategy and Policy Committee, Keighley Town Council

Ex-soldier on the attack

As an ex-solider, I find Anthony Silson’s claims supporting Ann Cryer’s shameful vote in excluding Ghurkhas who left the military before 1997 and their families from settling in Britain appalling.

This is not about Glen Miller, himself a former soldier, taking a moral high ground on immigration. It is about the respect every member of a proud and courageous regiment of the British Army deserves.

Having the right to settle in the country they served at risk to their own lives should be a fair and just reward for their service.

Labour introduced divisive rules in 2004 that said only Ghurkas who left the British Army after 1997 had the right to residency in Britain. What has angered myself, Glen Miller and no doubt countless active and former servicemen and women up and down the land is the way those Ghurkas who left the service in the years before Labour came to power have been dismissed out of hand. That is neither right nor fair. The Government has said to the Ghurkas, if you left the service before we came to power, tough luck. If you left under our watch, then that is OK, we will look after you.

This out of hand dismissal of Ghurka veterans prior to 1997 is beyond belief and takes no account of the sacrifice made by so many in the service of the Crown throughout some of the most brutal and vicious campaigns in military history.

Double standards, but since New Labour came to power that is all we have come to expect! These men were and are honourable soldiers, what a shame they have been let down by a dishonourable Government.

Lionel Lockley

Exley Crescent, Ingrow

MPs gold-plated expenses

I was surprised by your item in the May 14 Keighley News reporting of Ann Cryer saying she could possibly make a financial loss if she tries to sell her flat when she leaves Parliament at the next general election.

Firstly, that is pure speculation as the next general election could be over a year away. What we do know is that people, some with young families, may have little or no equity in their homes and are struggling to keep up their mortgage payments.

This is also a serious concern, for people who have to pay rent for their homes.

As for Mrs Cryer, being a widow, with no rich husband to support her, she seems to forget that she has the wonderful support of the British taxpayer. This in reaction to hers, and all her fellow MPs, copper bottomed, gold plated, final salary pension, which has recently been handsomely enhanced, when Harriet Harman quietly announced in Parliament that the pot of money for MPs pensions would have an additional £800,000 put into it. This on reflection is not too bad for the honourable and right honourable Members of Parliament — when the standard basic state pension is — £95.25 per week.

M Oldfield

Sunny Hill Grove, Exley Head, Keighley

Undertaking on expenses

While there is no doubt that many Members of Parliament work hard, with the best of motives, for their constituents, the general public is disgusted about the scandalous reports concerning those who have misappropriated and misused the system of expenses.

With this in mind, in my capacity as the chairman of the Keighley Constituency Labour Party, I have asked for, and received, an undertaking from our prospective parliamentary candidate Jane Thomas that, should she be elected as Member of Parliament for Keighley at the next general election, she would be totally open about any expenses received.

Jane has informed me that she would be more than willing to submit her expenses information to both the Keighley Constituency Labour Party and to the people of Keighley through the pages of the Keighley News.

Keith E Dredge

Chairman, Keighley Constituency Labour Party

Burden of decision making

I refer to your editorial last week. The burden and responsibility of office is to make decisions, after weighing up the relative importance of conflicting demands on a budget.

The Brontë school site is a dangerous eyesore, costing the council tax payer a fortune on ineffective security costs and is a serious accident waiting to happen. Given that, those who have the power to make a decision should have done so already.

I am more than happy to meet with the leader of the council, Kris Hopkins, to look at council waste with a view to finding the relatively small amount of money, given the overall council budget, to find the funds to prioritise the safety of the site.

I am not in the business of political point scoring. Rather, I take my responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of my constituents very seriously. If I failed to raise the issue I am sure that you would have been the first person to criticise councillors for not doing their job. I know my responsibilities. It is a shame that others have failed to fulfil theirs.

Councillor Sandra Haigh

Keighley West

Thanks to Fab Four

On behalf of the breast unit at Airedale Hospital I would like to thank everyone who supported the Mayor of Skipton’s charity in raising £40,000, allowing us to purchase a breast MRI coil and intra-venous injector.

This is now going to allow us to perform breast MRI. Women at present undergo mammography and ultrasound but in some women MRI is essential to enable accurate diagnosis, plan surgery and appropriate timely treatment. The benefits will be felt beyond the breast unit as this equipment will also help patients both with cancer and vascular diseases.

Four people deserve a special mention. Councillor Polly English, who initially thought and brokered the idea. The Mayor of Skipton Carol Manley, who accepted the challenge and who’s tremendous efforts raised what was a very high target. This was made possible by Maurizio and Cinzia Bocchi, from La Locanda restaurant, in Gisburn, who generously hosted several fund raising charity evenings over the past year, raising 50 per cent of the total.

Dr Ian Brand

Consultant Radiologist, Airedale Hospital