TEETHING PROBLEMS: I HAVE discovered that my dentists' surgery is going private. Myself and my family are NHS patients and were told we would have to pay for private treatment or find an alternative practice - which was quite distressing as we have been attending the surgery for some years.

The reason given for the privatisation was to reduce the patient list, as currently it is too high. But why do all the NHS patients have to be removed?

We feel discriminated against for being on a low income and dependent on NHS treatment.

With all the recent publicity about the lack of NHS dentists, you would think that they would be trying to help, not make it worse.

Dentists are always advising us to look after our teeth and have regular checks. Difficult when your dentist can't help you. - G Appleby, Durham.

LOO AND BEHOLD

SO chairwoman Wendy Morton defends the decision to close Richmond's town centre loos (Echo, Apr 13).

But living up in Redmire, she is not likely to have desperate loo-seekers on her doorstep. The same with the other 27 councillors who live in outlying villages.

The directory of councillors shows 34 smiling faces - 28 live outside Richmond, six live in Richmond and only one lives near the centre.

It would have made more sense closing the loos by the tourist office.

I've travelled the world and, wherever a coach stops, the loo is priority. I suggest the desperate make their way to the council chambers in the town hall for relief.

Perhaps it is time for the psychologists to do a study of the disappearance of common sense in Richmond, and perhaps in Darlington also, both now showing "keep out" signs. - Joyce Rutter, Richmond.

NO GO AREA

COUNCILLORS who oversee our lovely town are really becoming transparent. Firstly, their traffic wardens are entrusted with penalising drivers who leave their engines on at the side the road, all for the cause of minimising pollution.

Are these the same people who condone the road-thinning exercises across the town, reducing traffic to a standstill?

Two days later we hear the quotes from our elected: how they want people to come and enjoy shopping in Darlington by building another shopping complex on a car park in Commercial Street, and paving our historic town centre.

It looks as if our town hall does not give a damn about the free flow of traffic and does more to create pollution than prevent it. And if they need people to visit Darlington to spend their well-earned money, creation of access, rather than destroying it, might be advantageous.

Our road system is a disgrace. I hope visitors see sense and go to York or Durham. At these places councillors care about quality access and pollution. - Dave Cadman, Darlington.

RE Darlington town centre. I believe that the scheme is unpopular. I gather the council has never said that there is public support for it.

In fact, consultation with the residents is conspicuous by its absence.

The council may have told us what it proposes to do but, as far as I am aware, has never asked the residents for their views

The council should be forced to justify its decision.

The Civic Trust should not just throw in the towel. - JW Antill, Darlington.

NICE NATTER

IT WAS with interest I read Mr S Hawkens' letter (HAS, Apr 14) about the roundabout known as Bland's Corner. When I was a teenager (I am now 87), it was the destination for our Sunday evening walk.

There was a cafe at the corner and we used to congregate in there and have a good natter over a cup of tea.

This was in the winter. In the summer we used to walk round the South Park. It was usually after church. - Anne Welsh, Darlington.

UNITED FRONT

I WRITE in response to the apparent defection of Derek Cattell, former GMB union officer, to the independent candidate standing against the Labour Party in Sedgefield.

There has been much debate within the trade union movement about its relationship with the Labour Party. A number of people have suggested that the unions can no longer support that party and should instead only consider supporting individual candidates who "absolutely" represent the views of trade unions.

I have to say that this view, and the actions of Derek Cattell, do nothing to further the quality of life of working people.

The trade union movement is older than any modern political party and it has maintained its principles and values throughout its history. One of the greatest strengths of the trade union and labour movement is the principle of collectivism: the belief that by working together we can achieve greater progress for individuals than by fragmentation and competition.

But collectivism also requires discipline. A discipline that does not afford supporters in the labour movement the luxury of abandoning the collectivism of the unions and Labour Party simply because that party has not done everything that all individuals within the movement might like.

Individuals like Derek Cattell can only achieve one thing: to harm the Labour Party and the very people who need help. For working class people and union members there is only one game in town - the Labour Party. - Kevin Rowan, Regional Secretary Northern TUC, writing in a personal capacity.

NOSTALGIC NONSENSE

I FEEL angered by the Conservative pamphlet that arrived the other day with the scare story of hospital infection.

Anyone about to be admitted to any of our local hospitals must be thoroughly alarmed.

Last year I was a patient in North Tees University Hospital and was impressed by the high standard of cleanliness.

I trained as a nurse from 1956-59 and worked in a number of hospitals in the days of matron.

It seems nostalgic nonsense to suggest bringing back matron. The matrons that I knew were all single women who lived in a flat in the hospital and devoted their entire lives to their hospitals and, yes, they were scary. Those days have gone.

Now hospital trusts employ a team of specialist nurses to control hospital infection. I understand that the North Tees University Trust has a low incidence of MRSA infection.

How disheartening it must be for the cleaners and staff to invariably hear hospitals described as filthy. - CM Wilson, Stockton.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

IN 1962, when I was 16, I worked at Woolworths in Darlington alongside Big John, Mick (whose mum worked at the Imperial Hotel) and Ray (whose mum had a shop in Wales Street). One of the girls working at the counter was Beryl, who lived up Neasham Road near the Copper Beach pub.

I then left to work at the Darlington and Simpson Rolling Mills alongside Richard, Crofty and Allan. My mother, Emily Morgan, lived in Peel Street and I rented a flat in Clifton Road from Charlie Singh, who was a bus driver.

In 1964, I joined the Scots Guards with Jim Donoghue and served for nine years. I have lived in Edinburgh since 1980 and would love to hear from any of my former colleagues. - David J Goddard, 11 Denham Green Avenue, Edinburgh, EH5 3NZ. Tel: (0131) 5523023