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HOW good to read that a further step has been taken for a memorial in London for us, the Aycliffe Angels, and for those wartime workers who were killed at Aycliffe, their place of work (Echo, Nov 16).

Out of the 17,000 travelling to work every day in those wartime years, not many of us remain to speak out.

Thanks to Ruth Campbell, who spoke out in print in The Northern Echo, our Prime Minister and finally the Queen. I was given the honour as Angels' representative to meet Her Majesty on the Angels' behalf, and also the party leaders, Mr Hague and Mr Dewar, who sadly died recently, Mr Kennedy and Mr Trimble. It was nice to see Betty Boothroyd's high spirits on behalf of everyone on the Home Front and a delight to meet Vera Lynn.

What strength of purpose, come the day, to see our own memorial in London. So be it.

We must not fail to mention Great Aycliffe Town Council's effort to establish a memorial garden to the Angels in Aycliffe town centre, and the reporters and editor of The Northern Echo for the coverage at Coventry and London. - Janet Jackman, Newton Aycliffe.

STROKE ASSOCIATION

STROKE is a devastating condition which can turn lives upside down - I should know, I suffered one five years ago.

As I lay in bed, unable to speak and with no feeling in my right arm, I feared it might be the end of my broadcasting career. I think the most frightening thing was to realise that I could not have a conversation, as my whole job is about communications.

But I recovered, and thousands upon thousands of others also recover each year, or learn to adjust their lives. The support and encouragement from my wife Liz and our two sons was vital. The support of friends is also important to those affected by strokes.

The Stroke Association is an excellent charity which helps those affected by stroke. This is why I am pleased to see that BT, through its Friends and Family discount scheme, is helping the association. I would like to invite your readers to help by contributing through the scheme.

Existing customers to BT Friends and Family can donate the discount from their next bill to help the Stroke Association, National Meningitis Trust and Marie Curie Cancer Care by simply calling Freefone 0800 400 450. I am also delighted to say that BT has pledged to match donations up to £1m. - Dickie Davies, The Stroke Association, London.

TONY BLAIR

DESPITE his attending Durham Chroisters School and his avowed support for Newcastle United, even claiming, disregarding his age, to have regularly watched Jackie Milburn, is it Tony Blair's Scottish birth that causes his apathy towards England and particularly the North-East?

Why does he not redefine the Barnett Formula which gives increased public spending power to the Celtic nations at our expense? Is this man fit to represent a North Eastern seat? - Raymond M Kelly, Chester-le-Street.

GOLDEN HANDSHAKES

RAILTRACK boss Gerald Corbett is said to be in line for a pay-off of up to £1m after being found inept at his job.

This country is the only country which rewards inefficiency. When I worked on building sites, if you were no good, you got two hours' notice on a Friday and your walking papers. Not so at the top.

Billions of pounds have been spent on BSE because of feeding animals' remains to animals. The Government chooses barristers to be ministers of agriculture instead of a farmer. Does the Minister of Agriculture know the difference between a pasture and a meadow? I doubt it. A farmer does. - Jim Ross, Rowlands Gill, Tyne and Wear.

CUBA

ONE hundred and sixty seven of the world's countries, including Britain, believe that the US trade embargo against Cuba is monumentally wrong.

While Cuba shines like a jewel of ordinary class longevity, set amid the very real neo-liberal nightmare which increasingly engulfs much of Latin America, many so-called "lefts" play the same destructive game which destroyed Poland, and name Cuba as a Stalinist state. Cuba's first-class health care and free education for all is the envy of the world.

Many of Cuba's enemies had predicted the end of Cuba and the end of its revolutionary gains following the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, as Castro recently stated, Cuba's economy is growing, less fast than we would like, but it is growing. Castro in the same speech, went on to say: "While US dollars were increasingly circulating in the Cuban economy, the Cuban government would not dress itself in green dollar bills as Equador had". Cuba has proved that a small country can stand alone. Britain's pro-Euro fanatics please note. - James Fitzpatrick, Gateshead.

VANDALISM

RESPECT is a buzz word among many youngsters today. What a pity so many of them only use it to demand respect for themselves and their own desires.

The vandals who repeatedly wreck war memorials (Echo, Nov 13) and graveyards could do with some lessons in what respect really means. It is not just a word to utter for their own ends, but a strict self discipline when it comes to treating other people and their property in a proper, respectful way. Above all, it means never defacing or wrecking something that, while it may have no meaning to the vandal concerned, holds an important place in the lives, values and beliefs of somebody else. - EA Moralee, Billingham.