11/11/05

That's exactly what I have done, though. Instead of going to the Darlington v Wycombe game tomorrow, I have decided to keep my money in my pocket and spend it on something more worthwhile.

It's been a difficult decision to make. Two years ago the football would have won but, after some dire performances at home this season, I have decided to give the football a miss.

I can't honestly justify paying out money for something I no longer enjoy. Results and performances have not lived up to expectations this season so enough is enough.

Good luck to the lads though. I hope they go on and win and perform well. Contrary to what some club officials say about stay-away fans, I always want Darlo to do well. - David Taylor, Darlington.

LOUDER AND LOUDER

I AM writing to object to fireworks. Every year they are getting louder and louder and, on Saturday night, I found it terrifying. They are no longer pretty, just too loud and far too scary.

My eldest child, who is eight, asked me if we were getting bombed like in London. I cannot believe, in this day and age, that they have not been banned.

Why do we celebrate somebody trying to blow up Parliament, what message are we putting out?

The distress which was caused in my household alone, with my children and my dog, was heartbreaking. I can only guess what it caused to older people living on their own and all the wild animals and farm animals in the fields.

I think it is about time this Government stepped in and banned this event. Just think how much money could be saved by the council in not organising the event and the policing which is needed to keep law and order on the night. - Julie Jones, Darlington.

NORTH EAST ASSEMBLY

POLITICAL Editor Chris Lloyd sarcastically dismisses the North East Assembly as including "some councillors plus plenty of placemen" (Echo Nov 4).

This is a travesty. Like the Association of North East Councils (Anec), the assembly includes members from all 25 North-East councils and also - most importantly - representatives from business, trades unions, churches, arts, sport, community groups, plus the region's MPs and MEPs. Town and parish councils are also represented.

Lloyd correctly describes the Government's policy of regionalising police, health authorities, learning and skills councils, fire and ambulance services. All the more reason why we need a democratic voice for the region. Both Anec and the NEA are democratic bodies, albeit indirectly rather than directly elected. The region's 172 quangos, which control the majority of public money spent in the region, are not.

All 1,500 or so quango members in the region are appointed by government and none are accountable to the people of the North-East. Many are well paid, unlike assembly members who give their time free.

The choice at last year's referendum was either (a) a democratically elected regional assembly and unitary local councils for Northumberland and Durham, or (b) the status quo - no change. There was a 78 per cent vote in favour of keeping things as they are, including the assembly and other existing regional bodies. In reality, few people think the present system of regional government, mainly by unelected and unaccountable quangos, is satisfactory. It certainly doesn't work - the North-East still lags behind the rest of the UK. So what is to be done?

Let's have a sensible, serious debate about how to make the North-East's 100-plus major quangos accountable to us, the people of the region. It needs collective decision-making. - Coun Chris Foote-Wood, Vice Chair, North East Assembly.

I ENJOYED Chris Lloyd's piece about the unfinished business of a regional assembly.

I campaigned for an elected regional assembly because I knew that these reorganisations were in the pipeline and simply wanted them to be democratically accountable.

I think one reason why we lost is that the Government's proposals were too timid and did not provide that accountability.

We need regional structures for strategic planning, but we also need day to day services, such as housing and health, accessible to people locally.

A regional strategic health authority is fine - it does not employ many people - but abolishing locally based primary care trusts is, in my opinion, a retrograde step.

Primary care trusts should work with local authorities and be accountable to local people.

Regionalise the things which need to be regionalised, but keep as much as possible locally administered and locally accountable. - David Taylor-Gooby, Peterlee.

TOWN CENTRE

IT may not have been widely advertised that Darlington Borough Council is now going to hold planning surgeries around the town so that members of the public can talk to planning officers and express their views on broad planning policies that will take place in the town over the next 15 years.

Also, a public meeting is to be held in the Town Hall on Monday from 7-9pm to discuss the town centre.

Many of the public provided constructive comments at the presentation of the new town centre back in February and had their views diluted into insignificance and then disregarded by the council.

I believe that the Pedestrian Heart project was started about two years ago and with design concept complete and a construction contract awarded, I cannot see that the council will take any notice of any comments that the public will provide at this meeting.

Perhaps it will only serve to confirm what the council is to impose on the residents, like it or not. - L Hume, Darlington.

ANGEL OF NAGPUR

CONGRATULATIONS to The Northern Echo for giving publicity and support to Leah Pattison, the Angel of Nagpur (Echo, Nov 7).

Her work deserves the highest praise and members of the Rotary Club of Crook are delighted to see her achievements given publicity.

We are proud of our role in getting Leah's charity, START, off to a good start. Convinced by her dedication and her cause, we raised money ourselves and enlisted help elsewhere to organise fundraising events. We are grateful to the Rotary, Inner Wheel and Interact Clubs and to the many other organisations and individuals who helped us far exceed our original pledge of support.

Rotary has presented Leah with a Land Rover and with money to house her clinic and vulnerable patients. Through its Rotary International contacts, and by making Leah an honorary member, the Rotary Club of Crook also helped her cut through Indian red tape and receive the funds we had raised.

We have watched with admiration as Leah has used those funds to such great effect. - MariaLuisa Massagli, President, The Rotary Club of Crook.