05/01/04

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, there has been an appalling rise in racism in those countries which were previously behind the Iron Curtain.

While many have benefited from the fall of the corrupt and oppressive dictatorships, life for minorities such as the Roma has probably got worse.

F Wealand's letter reminds me of the plight of the Garza family, a half-Roma family who came to Gateshead after fleeing the former Czechosolvakia.

The mother of the family had been badly beaten while pregnant with her third child, and this child was born prematurely with cerebral palsy. The family settled in to our country very well. The son, despite having very little English, made good progress in school while the eldest daughter ended up in the top set. It was clear that here was a Roma family who could, in the long term, offer much to our country.

However, in the end they were deported to central Europe to face a frightening future. The truth of the matter is not so much that people are coming here who shouldn't be, but more that people are being returned while still having well-founded fears.

It would be nice to think that 2004 will see people having a fairer-minded attitude towards asylum. - Peter Sagar, Newcastle.

HONOURS

HOW can they get it so wrong? Middlesbrough MP Stuart Bell gets a knighthood. He's the guy who rubbished Ray Mallon in the House of Commons and tried to drag him down. But when Ray was elected mayor, Mr Bell did a magnificent U-turn and vowed his support for Ray! The wrong fellow got the knighthood - it should have been Ray. - Ed Southgate, Stockton.

READERS might like to be reminded of another legacy to the North-East which ex-Echo editor Harold Evans left in addition to those listed in the article marking his New Year Honours knighthood. It is the huge clean-up which was the result of articles he published in the early 1960s entitled "Spruce-up the North-East".

One was about the Thornaby Wilderness - the old racecourse - which in the 1980s was turned into the Teesside Park shopping and entertainment development by the Teesside Development Corporation. - Michael Morrissey, Saltburn.

FOOTBALL

THERE are more important news items than "the Reynolds football stadium in crisis" stories that seem to have taken over The Northern Echo during Christmas week.

Today, for example, there will be great news for Darlington as St Teresa's Hospice will open full-time respite care at the Woodlands.

I, for one, owe my survival to the loving care I have from every special carer in St Teresa's Hospice.

Thank you to all the kind, generous folk who have supported the hospice and made this dream a reality. Bless you all and our Northern Echo. - Elsie Norton, Darlington.

I AGREE with Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd saying the players are given Rolls Royce treatment. It is about time the club got something back and the players started performing on the pitch.

No wonder football clubs are struggling to survive when they have to pay out so much in wages for poor performances. - N Tate, Darlington.

HAIRCUTS

IT IS now nearly two years since I had a decent haircut. This is because my hairdresser of long standing went off to France, which was a great disappointment to me because she had cut my hair with skill for a lot of years.

Since then I've tried six different hairdressers, all have proved mediocre. One unforgettable occasion left me with a Bill Haley type kiss-curl. Another I made the mistake of committing myself to was a descendent of Sweeney Todd who took large lumps of hair from my head.

I do not wish to be unkind to hairdressers but where are the decent ones? All I want is for my hair to be well cut and layered to my requirements - not the hairdresser's. Can anyone help please? - Derek Parker, south Durham.

ROAD REPAIRS

NOW that George Bush and Tony Blair have decided not to visit Darlington, do you think we could have the road gullies along Yarm and Geneva Road unblocked? - A Telford, Darlington.

AIRPORT NAME

I WOULD like the councils of Darlington and Stockton to allow their electorate to vote on the proposed new name for Teesside Airport. Many of us locals are extremely annoyed that it is going to be changed to Durham/Tees Valley Airport. Durham is nowhere near the airport and it will confuse passengers from outside the region.

I would like it to stay as Teesside Airport, or, if there has to be a change, Tees/Darlington Airport.

I can imagine foreign passengers asking for directions to the airport in the small city of Durham only to find out that it is nearly 20 miles south in Darlington. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

YOBBERY

I VISITED my local Day and Nite store in Allendale Road, Overfields Estate, Ormesby, last week.

The staff were annoyed that the store and the ATMS machine had been torched and a member of staff had had petrol thrown over them by one of the yobs. They feel they have been let down badly by the authorities.

Having lived on the estate for over 34 years and represented the old Overfields Ward as a councillor from 1989 until 1991, I can understand their feelings.

One would hope that some action could be forthcoming as it appears that there is a strong threat to people's safety. - Coun George Dunning, Leader of the Labour Opposition, Redcar and Cleveland Council.

I COMMEND Wakefield Police for locking up the 11-year-old who destroyed trees in a park to build a tree house. He and the rest of the yob culture in this country has to learn to respect other people's property, and not be able to do anything they have mind to.

Let's hope the shock of being locked up for his mindless destruction shows him he cannot get away with it. - C Milne, Peterlee.

EDUCATION

AFTER reading that the education watchdog OFSTED is condemning inadequate teaching for holding back the drive to give primary school pupils a good grasp of the three Rs (Echo, Dec 10) I was amazed to read David Bell's letter (HAS, Dec 10) about Durham County Council's proposal to close North Blunts Primary School, Peterlee. This school is out-performing most primary schools in the North-East.

Does Durham County Council not want improving schools? Does Durham County Council not value the opinion of David Miliband, Minister of State for School Standards?

What more hoops do teachers have to jump through to please both local and national government? I would suggest that Durham County Council should think again. - S Campbell, Great Ayton.