07/07/05

I would also like to make an addition to the list of North-East airfields. One that was not mentioned is RAF Wombleton, a bomber base of the Royal Canadian Air Force flying Halifax and Lancasters, three miles north east of Helmsley, opened 1943 and closed 1949. - Kenneth Stoves, Middlesbrough.

I AM surprised that you failed to mention Wombleton Airfield near Helmsley, a bomber base used by the Canadian Air Force, in your feature.

As a very small boy on holiday at Chop Gate, I remember the stream of petrol tankers going through Bilsdale from ICI Billingham to Wombleton. As the drivers often stopped in Chop Gate for a cup of tea, my parents and I were even able to obtain a lift to Helmsley on one occasion. - Eric Gendle, Middlesbrough.

FOUL LANGUAGE

WAS it necessary for pop stars to use four letter words to put across their message during their Live8 performances?

It is never necessary to use these words. Winston Churchill did not use such language to inspire the nation during the Second World War, yet his phrases and sayings are often used in this day and age.

Your columnist Peter Mullen inspires so many responses in HAS that he must be widely read, yet you never have to use an initial followed by three dashes in his articles.

If these pop stars were to take a little time to study the English language they would be able to use more suitable adjectives to put across their message.

Then perhaps more people, who were brought up to respect other people's feelings, might support their efforts. - DC Elsom, Annfield Plain.

MONARCHY

Jim Tague is sorely mistaken if he believes the monarchy costs us nothing and is the finest bargain around (HAS, July 1).

Granted, the income from the Crown Estate (about £150m in 2004) is much larger than the monarchy's "overall" cost of £37m, but Mr Tague is judging a royal book by its cover.

There's a lot more involved in the Crown Estate arrangements (made in the reign of George III) than meets the eye, and I think people should understand that the original deal was never a straight exchange of Crown Estate income for an annual Civil List payment.

The disparity between sums paid to the Royal Family, and the true direct and indirect annual cost of the monarchy, beggars belief.

I think it is high time we had a directly elected head of state, a caring president, a man (or woman) who can run this country wisely and cost-effectively. - Aled Jones, Bridlington.

GREAT BAND

ALWAYS news about our troubled youth, but never one mention about our wonderful young musicians, who played their hearts out at Darlington Arts Centre. They gave a magnificent performance on their last sell out concert before their tour of Spain, which begins on Saturday.

The Durham County Youth Big Band and Teesdale School Soul Bands were truly great, thanks to the dedication of their conductors and students who work so hard and the parents who support them.

So, come on, a bit more support for our local youth who need support from our local paper. - J Eland, Darlington.

FIREWORKS

SURELY, if you put a firework or some inflammable liquid through a door and set fire to it, it is going to do some serious damage or, worse, take someone's life as it has done recently (Echo, July 5).

The yobs who are doing this have grandparents and parents too.

So think, if it was your family, would you really do it to them? - Christine Milne, Peterlee.

PETROL PRICES

MANY years ago you drove into a petrol station, an assistant took off your petrol cap and asked you how much fuel you would like. You would tell him and he filled your tank. You then gave him the money and drove off without getting out of your car. Nowadays, you have to do the filling and then go and pay the cost.

Would petrol be a little cheaper if machines were designed so you could drive up, put a £10 or £20 note in and then fill your tank with that amount? After all the cost of petrol includes the wages of the cashier in petrol stations.

Many commodities are available from machines. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill, Co Durham.

AFRICA

IN many parts of Africa there is evidence of horrendous poverty compounded by the HIV and Aids epidemic.

I am surely not alone in thinking that, despite all the millions being poured into the continent, after a few years the situation will be as bad as ever.

Every penny given to Africa should be devoted to the education of children and young adults to try to prevent them following in the footsteps of their unfortunate, unthinking parents.

Political corruption, by all accounts, is endemic in many African countries and only the education of young adult voters can prevent a continuation of this desperate situation.

I reiterate my original point: the money should not be used to prolong the lives of the terminally ill.

This may sound harsh, but if the problems of Africa are to be treated seriously some hard choices have to be made. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

PIT SETTLEMENTS

I THINK it is about time the Government made a stand with British Coal and the legal profession regarding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases.

I would like to point out that some people have been fighting their case for over five years and, the way it is going, their great, great, great grandchildren will not see the money, but there will be some very rich people in the legal profession.

I would like to see the Government make a date by which all cases are to be resolved and a settlement made. - G Hall, Crook.

LABOUR MANIFESTO

I WONDER if I am the only person in the North-East who feels that the last Labour manifesto is not worth the paper it is written on?

The Work Minister, Margaret Hodge, appears to be shying away from the promise of full employment here in the North-East by 2010. Now she refers to it as an "ambition" and an "aspiration".

I aspire to win millions on the Lottery but I don't believe for a moment it will happen.

The General Secretary of the TUC, Kevin Rowan, has called on the Government for some action - fat chance now they are in power. He should have been asking for that before the election.

Between February and April 2005, more than 2000 people in the North-East lost their jobs. Why do so many people fall for these promises time after time?

No wonder Labour MPs here only pay us a fleeting visit from time to time. - J Young, Nunthorpe.