Consett STEELWORKS: YOUR retrospective on the closure of the Consett steelworks (Echo, Sept 12) says: "It was deemed to be a 'lame duck' industry and, following an acrimonious national strike that year (1980), the steelmen of Consett campaigned to save their plant. During the summer of 1980, unions argued Consett was a profit-making plant but they were met with indifference."

That is not how I recall the sequence of events. The local campaign to save the plant was already under way and had gathered much support from many quarters when the union called a national strike for higher wages.

The Consett workers initially refused to join the strike, believing, with good reason, that saving their jobs took precedence over complaining about pay.

The heavyweights of the union descended upon Consett and leaned on the local members, persuading them to change their minds. The Consett workers then joined the strike for more pay, and lost a great deal of public sympathy.

After the plant had closed, some of the workers openly complained that their own union had effectively killed the campaign to save the plant. - David Kelsey, Middlesbrough.

HOSPITAL PRAISE

SO often we read in the media about dirty hospitals and, equally often, we read that privatisation is to blame.

With all the stories we hear about dirty hospitals and MRSA, it was very heartening to read about Richmond Friary Hospital (Echo, Sept 9).

On an inspection carried out without warning, the hospital was found to be spotlessly clean. As the cleaning is carried out by a small local private company, it was a pity that you missed an opportunity to offer your readers at least this chance to see that privatisation can work and that there are good committed and dedicated people who work for private companies.

The praise in your article seemed to be given to National Health Service employees and was likewise accepted as such by Mr Simon Kirk, the Primary Care Trust chief executive.

Had the hospital failed the inspection how quickly would the private contractor been blamed by the PCT. Come on, be fair. Give credit where it is due. - Edward Clarkin, Richmond.

ANDREW SPENCE

I AM getting rather impatient with the cavalier tactics of Andrew Spence in trying to stop the delivery of fuel to petrol stations (Echo, Sept 15).

We know that he is trying (at least) to inconvenience the Government, but does he really think they are going to give way to him?

All that will happen is it will make life more difficult for motorists. - F Atkinson, Shincliffe.

I BACK Andrew Spence 100 per cent. It is not the price of the fuel when it comes into this country that is making the price at the pump so high, it is the tax that this Government puts on it.

It is time Gordon Brown opened his eyes and he would see other countries have lower fuel prices because their governments are not putting the high tax on the fuel.

If he cut this Government's fuel tax by half and put a higher tax on cigarettes and drink, he would still get his money and this country would be a lot better place.

People need their cars to get to work. Cigarettes and drink are not a must.

I need my car. - Name and address supplied.

NATIONAL PRIDE

MORE horror and tragedy seems to have arisen around the world this summer than during any other I can remember.

Therefore I'm absurdly cheered by our English cricket team's splendid result at the Oval, despite caring nothing for cricket. It's such a relief to feel the lift in our nation's morale.

However, at risk of sounding like a grumpy old woman, I feel our country is well overdue such a boost to our confidence. We have lately taken to apologising for being a nation at all. Christianity in schools, Christmas cards, use of our flag, hunting, British business interests, our Royalty, all have come under fire.

As bad as anything, we have chosen to share in the national disgrace, the Iraq war, by voting back into power the men responsible.

The Northern Echo reported how Poland's national pride and identity was reawakened by the visit of the late Polish Pope, an occasion which sparked off that country's move towards independence.

As the EU now quietly forces through its constitution piecemeal, will we finally wake up and refuse to be exploited and lied to, or is national pride still only for the French? - Charlotte Bull, UKIP.

DISABLED ACCESS

I HAVE learned from the village Spar shop in Hurworth that Darlington Borough Council has refused planning permission for it to make an enlarged disabled access doorway as Hurworth is in a conservation area.

Wow. Every public place in Darlington has been told to make disabled access, but because Hurworth is a conservation area we don't get it.

I hope Darlington Council's planning department will bear this in mind when it seeks planning permission to build on the comprehensive school land if it does remove our school.

This is just another case of the council not considering what is best for the residents of Hurworth. - Julie Jones, Hurworth.

FOOTPATHS

RE a recent report in The Northern Echo regarding public response to Darlington Borough Council's invitation to the general public re the state of footpaths and roads in the town.

Your report indicated that the questionnaires had 'flooded in' - a figure of 850 replies was quoted, not exactly a huge response, given that the population is approaching 100,000.

Perhaps this is why we have a dictatorial council which simply does not listen to public opinion.

I shudder to think what will happen over the next few months of 'improvements' in the town centre.

Will the council compensate the business people for any lost revenue, or compensate members of the public who injure themselves negotiating the upheaval? I doubt it. - JD Blair, Darlington.

RESPECT US

THIS may seem trivial, but I am writing about my annoyance over a headline on your business pages - 'Girls take over at training group' (Echo, Sept 13).

I doubt that the story would have said 'Boys take over at training group' if it were men taking over the firm.

I run a business in Durham and find the North-East difficult in terms of women being accepted as entrepreneurs - especially compared to London.

I believe The Northern Echo can help by giving us the respect we deserve. - Erin Cox, Durham.

NEW LOOK

WIND turbines could be camouflaged by putting models of men and women in old period dress.

Or, below the blades, you could put ships, aeroplanes, space ships - anything to make them more presentable.

It may attract and please people, rather than inciting criticism of the monstrosities. - S Bowden, West Cornforth.