BOOKING OFFICE: DO the people of Darlington know that a notice in the window of the booking office and information centre at the Arriva bus station states that, as from August 14, these offices were closed?

In Darlington we have no bus or coach garage. We do have a coach stop at the side of the Dolphin Centre which is a shambles: no organisation, no queuing, a person arriving late can board the coach before all the other passengers who have been waiting for some time.

When ringing the travel line I was told that I was still able to book in Darlington, their computer had not been updated.

If it was closed and I was a cash customer I would have to book at Stockton High Street, the nearest branch, although you can book on the Internet or credit card over the phone. Big deal.

We were able to book special offers from the adverts in the window of the information centre, now to find out you have to travel to Stockton.

Why cannot Darlington have a decent coach and bus station as they have at Middlesbrough, not like the eyesore we have? - Bernard Pentony, Darlington.

MO MOWLAM

HOW sad I was to hear of Mo Mowlam's death.

I have a letter from her dated May 1997. I wrote to her when I heard about her brain tumour.

My husband had a stroke in July 1996 and when, admitted into hospital, he was found to have a brain tumour. Even though it was benign and removed, there were complications and sadly he died in September 1996.

The envelope of her letter sent to me had House of Commons on it and I will treasure this forever.

Her letter begins: "Dear Pauline, Many thanks for your letter and good wishes. I am very grateful to you for taking the time to write and was very touched by your kind comments. I am now fit and well and looking forward to the challenges of government."

What a wonderful woman she was and will be sadly missed. - P Curley, Bishop Middleham.

BOWLS SHAME

RECENTLY the Press has given extensive coverage to the end of the Second World War and, in as many words, expressed the thanks of the nation for their sacrifices to the veterans who placed their lives on the line.

However, the thoughts have never reached the councillors of Sedgefield Borough Council. They have decided that those thanks do not apply to the veterans who bowl at Sunnydale Leisure Centre in Shildon.

They have made plans to close it to the bowlers to, as they say, make the bowling green into a gymnasium for the youth of the town.

This club is by far the most valuable section of the complex, contributing more to the purse than all other sections put together.

They say it is also to enable the youth to take part in more activity to improve the health of the townsfolk.

But it is disgraceful to take away the restful and pleasurable exercise of the older generation, some of whom spent their youth on the fields of France and Germany and the high seas to ensure that this country remained free to build these leisure centres for the later generations. Now they are saying: you have had your day, it is time to go. In effect, thanks, but your time is up.

I hope the residents of Shildon will reject their proposals for I feel that this is just the opening moves to dismantle the whole complex in favour of the property speculators in the near future. - Fred Edwards, Shildon.

LOVELY PARK

I WOULD like to thank all the staff involved in maintaining the memorial park in Station Road, Billingham.

From the early spring with a wonderful show of daffodils and crocus with flowering cherry trees, followed by summer bedding and the repair of the footpaths and the installation of a decorative plinth and the promise of a garden seat.

This has been a wonderful way of saying a thank you to all those who gave their lives in the Second World War at this 60th anniversary year. The whole area has benefited as the park is a delight to the eye as one approaches the area.

I would like to thank Sarah Edwards from Stockton Council who has been involved in the project and has listened to our comments about the area and worked hard to achieve a park to be proud of.

We will remember them. - Bernard Seyburn, ex 2nd Btn DLI, Billingham.

BEGGING BOWL

I CAN remember when Labour could have put a pig up for election in Durham and it would have got 90 per cent of the votes.

The fact is the Labour Party in Durham was the architect of the destruction of its own party and is still doing it.

All land sold near and in Durham City is sold to private developers at premium prices to build houses between a quarter of a million and half a million pounds. The true facts are that not many people who can afford them vote Labour.

The land should be sold for good quality council homes at a fair rent.

Someone asked me what they should call the new bowl art project. I said they should call it the Durham begging bowl because the Durham people will have to pick up the bill. Never mind if it fails to draw people. I am sure the skateboard people will find a good use for it. - Peter Jefferies, Durham City.

HIGH ROW

HAVE readers noticed the improvement to the High Row now that the ungainly hoardings have been removed?

Might the council now be persuaded to remove the numerous black planters with their ragged assortment of plants so this splendid Victorian masterpiece of urban design can be seen in an even more favourable light?

Many column inches have been taken up on this debate in Darlington but it should not be allowed to rest for one moment: the question why is this being done has yet to be answered.

It lies under the spin and the obscure procedural habits of a council that has refused to have a town meeting.

In spite of assurances to the contrary, there is no indication of compromise or of a meeting halfway on this issue, the new proposals march on like some Frankenstein.

They are flawed when compared to our present High Row: people and traffic are mixed at the same upper shopping level, there are no landings for the old and infirm on the continuous flights of steps, the disabled ramp cuts diagonally across the steps at the junction of Post House Wynd and High Row - always a busy point - so if you walk down to the steps here you encounter the railings of the ramp.

The stepped water feature below the ramp is open and one can foresee the same problems here as with the Princess Diana fountain in Hyde Park.

Whether by accident or design, our distinctive High Row works well, it does not need replacing. So, the question once more is why? - Ian Dougill, Darlington.