Tees Valley: I WAS born in Grangetown in the 1930s and grew up believing I was a Yorkshireman. During my working life in the construction industry I worked in various parts of the UK, never once did I feel the need to change the image of my birth place.

Now I am told that I live in Tees Valley and it is good for the image of the area.

I wonder if the people who make these decisions ever ask the general public if they would like the name of the area changed?

I suspect that perhaps so called public servants are convinced by profit making organisations that this change of name is better for their corporate image rather than the image of the area, which seems to be entirely secondary in any decision making. - Jim Lacey, Stokesley.

SMOKING BAN:WHAT a mess the ban on smoking is going to be. No smoking where food is served in pubs. Does this mean (because they are foods) potato crisps, nuts, pork scratchings etc, so no smoking?

Of course Wales and Northern Ireland have got it right.

No smoking in public places or where working people are subject to the poisonous fumes.

One danger from smokers has been totally ignored and that is smoking drivers. There was a case of a lady eating an apple while driving and being charged.

If you drive without putting on a seat belt you can also be charged but smoking and driving is ok.

So look at what happens, as most people have been a passenger of a smoking driver.

First, often both hands come off the steering wheel and as the light is applied to the cigarette the eyes come off the road and once lit up only one hand is on the steering wheel. If the cigarette is dropped there is an emergency stop very quickly to find it.

At the end of the smoke, many are thrown out of the car window (the cause of many roadside grass fires on dry summer days).

Go to any public car park and you will find heaps of fag ends dumped from car ashtrays.

So drivers, carry on smoking, it is safe, but don't eat an apple, that is too dangerous. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

DOLPHIN CENTRE:I AM horrified by the council's proposal to revamp the entrance to the Dolphin Centre in Darlington.

Upgrading the facilities inside is long overdue but why can't the council leave alone the features that give our town character - especially in a Conservation Area.

The existing design was intended to blend in with the market place elevation and has been recognised by a Civic Trust Award. So what does the council propose? To replace this sympathetic piece of design with a completely alien glass fronted elevation onto the market place, a glass and steel canopy like the already dated example on the Queens Street shopping arcade and a flight of steps where no steps exist at the moment.

It would appear that once again the council has given the consultants a brief that does not require the existing character and importance of a Conservation Area to be taken into consideration.

A new entrance is not necessary to attract more people to use the facilities - give us modern changing rooms without broken toilet seats, tiles and flaking putty, modern gym facilities, a decent cafe serving something other than chips and beans and people will use the facility. - Name and Address Supplied.

BATTLE OF THE SOMME: NEXT year sees the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The volunteers of the First World War, the 1914 "Pals" battalions, went into battle on July 1, 1916, and were killed in their thousands.

The families and communities who suffered so severely from the terrible losses of that battle - nearly 60,000 casualties on the first day alone including almost 20,000 dead - still recall that summer as they commemorate the war dead of the 20th century.

The British are frequent visitors to the battlefields of the Western Front, where they are a respected and welcome sight.

Larger numbers than usual - individuals, families, groups - are expected to visit the Somme next summer, and the local authorities are making special preparations to receive them.

Ceremonial events, parades, accommodation, traffic management - the town of Albert and surrounding villages and woods are thinking ahead to their visitors' needs next summer.

Advance knowledge of planned visits will help the Somme local authorities and facilities to be ready for extra numbers. A special team has been set up to help with preparations and to act as a focus for UK enquiries.

Two special websites can help with information: www. sommebattlefields. com and www. somme-1916. com or get in touch with the Somme's UK representatives for battlefield tourism: helen. mcphail@sommebattlefields. co. uk - Helen McPhail.

CRUEL CULTURE:CRUELTY in whatever form is unacceptable in a civilised society. A cruelty culture seems to be growing in Britain.

We see and hear reports almost daily of some abusive acts against children and adults and this extends to the treatment of animals. Whether on our streets or in the confines of households, the callous and heinous acts committed on the vulnerable and defenceless is undermining all that is good in society.

In our determination to get the right balance, we often do a disservice to the victim. A number of factors often become an obstacle to achieving a just outcome. Delays in the legal system are sometimes necessary but often they are a cause of anxiety and distress for the victim. Justice can never be sought on the basis of retribution but where the evidence is clear, then those guilty of the crime should be speedily dealt with.

A clear message needs to be given to those who commit crime and those who consider executing such acts.

There is much talk about human rights and civil liberties.

It is my view that rights should only be exercised in a civilised society where those individuals are deserving of rights.

Recently, the Prime Minister boldly set out a policy for action in dealing with criminal activity on the streets and in our neighbourhoods. Lawyers questioned its legal validity.

Whilst acknowledging the need for those accused to have the right of defence, it is imperative that we rid ourselves of the culture that exists and is burning away at the fabric of our society. - Bernie Walsh, Coxhoe

HIGH ROW: I HAVE been surprised by some of the letters in your paper complaining about the lack of consultation regarding the new pedestrian scheme in Darlington town centre.

I remember seeing a stand in the Cornmill Centre earlier this year with pictures which gave a very good idea about what the town centre would look like.

Someone was there taking comments from shoppers. People I heard seemed impressed with the plans.

I am sure some people will miss the old look of the High Row. However anyone who has tried to get a pushchair or wheelchair around in that area may, however, feel differently.

Over the years I've seen a few people have nasty falls on the steep steps.

Town centres should encourage people to move around freely. I think people might feel differently about the plans when they realise how easy it will be to get from the market hall to High Row. - Sharon Barnes, Darlington.