Your Letters - August 10

Youth respect

THIS letter is in response to the obscene letters sent in to the observer, 'Kids Mentality' and 'Youth Respect'.

Does it not occur to you that some children and teenagers have respect?

I have never, in my 16 years of life (14 of which in Bexhill) committed a crime or committed deviance within society, yet you jump to conclusions that all teenagers within Bexhill area burn buses and ''cause mayhem and havoc''.

Me and a few friends simply walk through Bexhill Town Centre and heads are shaken at us. Why? I do not know, what gives people the power to shake heads and look down on us. They do not know us; they do not have the right.

Earlier this summer, an elderly member of the Bexhill community came up to a group of friends and I down the beach. This lady was saying that there are too many of us, and that we should be dispersed. What were we doing? Well, soaking up the very little of sun that we have had this summer and celebrating that our five years of secondary school education had come to an end.

"Youth respect". Kids should be beaten? What good would that do? Cause us pain? Yes. Teach us a lesson? Most likely not. Pain and violence is never the answer to anything, and I do not care what happened in 'your days', times and laws have changed, it is now illegal.

In conclusion to this letter, I think that the two writers of the past letters should maybe think about the society in which we live, and the children around them. Don't jump to conclusions, especially harsh ones that don't do anyone any good. I think that perhaps before jumping to such conclusion you could maybe try and say "Hello" to them, some of them will have respect, as do I, and I say "Hello" to many people walking through town, but I get ignored because of my age.

The old saying is "Don't judge a book by it's cover" well, that pretty much sums up my letter and beliefs. You do not know us, you have not talked to us, just because of our age, the number of friends we have and hang around with and the clothes we wear, you judge us badly. I advise that you think twice next time.

R. Dawes

Whitehouse Avenue.

Pavilion policy

ROTHER District Council has formed a De La Warr working group to consider options for reducing, limiting, capping and/or extending the council's annual revenue subsidy commitment to the De La Warr Charity Trust. Derek Stevens, the Rother chief executive, has assured me the terms of reference of the working party are broad enough to allow from a nil contribution up to any level deemed suitable by the council. I would suggest therefore that the first task of the Working Group should be to examine whether Rother should continue to make any contribution to this Charity Trust which appears to stagger from one financial crisis to another.

For five years now Rother rate payers have been subsidising this white elephant to the tune of 500,000 (inflation proofed). For 2005/06 the cost of supporting the Pavilion was 540,430 which equated to 4.7% of the Council's net spending. This financial year the burden is 571,000. No provision for expenditure of this order is included in the draft revenue budgets for 2008/2009 '“ 2010/2011. As we know Rother Council's ability to increase council tax revenue is curtailed by the current capping regime. So where would the savings come from if the district council decides to continue to subsidise the Pavilion? Last time closure of public toilets was favourite.

When Council Tax payers have questioned over the years whether it was reasonable to use our rates to finance this charity the previous council leader, Cllr Gubby, always trotted out the same tired mantra that "Over the five year period Rother would in fact save local council taxpayers in excess of 1.3 million compared to what it was costing taxpayers before responsibility was handed over to the De La Warr Pavilion Charitable Trust". In reply to this I would question whether the council should have got a grip earlier. Now according to the minutes of the first meeting of the new working group they too have been told that in terms of costs, the council was working from a position where it had significantly reduced the annual revenue cost to the tax payers of the district and that previous investigations had concluded that private sector management of the DLWP was not feasible without significant grant support. Why not? And why should it be Council Tax payer's support?

It is my opinion the De La Warr Pavilion is a building looking for a role. In March 2005 the then director of the De La Warr suggested in his report to the scrutiny committee that "The redevelopment of the De La Warr Pavilion continues to act as a catalyst for the broader regeneration ambitions of the seafront, the town of Bexhill and indeed, the East Sussex coastline. The Pavilion will bring a new cultural identity to the area, creating new jobs, improvements to education and training, growth in tourism and a stronger sense of place, identity and quality of life for local people, particularly the young." His grandiose vision for the Pavilion in 2006 was that with its proximity to Bexhill's unspoilt beach, free admission to the galleries and many other events, the new De La Warr Pavilion had quickly become established as a new cultural destination in the South East, outside London. But a survey carried out by the Sussex Arts Marketing in spring 2006 found that 35% of visitors came from within the broader Rother District area and 25% from Bexhill itself. Of the remaining 40%, 15% were from St Leonards and Hastings, 15% from the south area, and only 8% from London and 2% internationally.

The Trust recorded a revenue deficit of 288,518 in 2005/2006. We do not know the projected loss in 2006/2007 as audited trading accounts for the period will not be available until December. It is worth noting in March 2006 Anthony Leonard, Rother Director of Services, reported a forecast overspend in the budget for 2005/2006 due to loss of revenue income but that the Trust's new business plan outlined an aggressive recovery strategy which proposed turning the business around to profit by 2006/07. Now we are told there is a three-year deficit recovery strategy. So what happened? What faith can we have in these forecasts?

J GOLDSWORTHY

Glengorse

Battle

Tesco policy

I was shocked to read in last week's Observer about Colin Dearmer's experience when asking for assistance at the Ravenside Tesco store. I am writing this letter both as Chair of Hastings and Rother Disability Forum and as a local visually impaired person who sometimes uses this store.

Mr Dearmer stated that he had been refused assistance on two occasions, but that Tesco state that although they have increased staff on a Wednesday disabled people can get help on any day of the week. I know from experience that this is not the first time that assistance has been refused. Just before Christmas my husband and I visited the store and were informed that "assisted shops" had been withdrawn over the Christmas period due to staff being too busy. We were told that the store would be reviewing its "assisted shop" policy after Christmas - and it appears that this has been done. Having said this, the store manager who gave us this information did then assist us in a few areas of the shop where we were having difficulty finding products.

It would appear that the policy is unclear even to the store staff and that senior management need to make the position clear. If staff are limiting assisted shopping to certain days then this is clearly not acceptable and the policy needs to be modified. Tesco has an obligation under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people who are unable, or find it difficult to, access their services as a result of their disability - and any suggestion that help can only be given one day a week is clearly not reasonable.

The Hastings and Rother Disability Forum will be contacting Tesco at Ravenside to discuss this further. We would be interested in hearing from Mr Dearmer about his experiences and would invite him to get in touch with us either on 01424 201201 or by e-mail at [email protected]

Theresa Hodge

Chair, Hastings & Rother Disability Forum

PO Box 269, Hastings.

Dreaded trip

WHEN I first moved to East Sussex nine years ago I enjoyed visiting Ravenside. Shopping at Tesco was easy and my favourite next stop was at B&Q where I could browse the household goods and garden department. I soon filled my kitchen cupboards with good food and my house and garden flourished with gleaming chrome, shrubs and bright flowers.

Then alas, the rot set in. B&Q changed their lovely store into an unfriendly warehouse where goods were placed too high, out of reach to examine. Towering isles seemed threatening as if boxes and goods were just waiting to topple. Next, the parking area was altered and overnight it seemed there wasn't room to park any more. Round and round you drive waiting for a car to pull out so that you can squeeze in. Finally, Tesco changed their shelving, making it difficult to examine goods, packaged meat for example, in the too shallow space allowed. Favourite brands were replaced by the Tesco label.

All in all, combined with the crowds and traffic problems trying to actually get to Ravenside in the first place, I found I was hating and dreading a shopping trip that once was so enjoyable. So this week I followed my daughter-in-law's example and grocery shopped on line for the first time ever. Fantastic! A cheerful man in a van delivered my shopping on Thursday, all perfectly chosen, right into my kitchen without me stepping a foot outside the door.

I know it can't be for everyone but if you have a computer at home, I suggest you try it. The more that do, the more car parking space will be left for those that don't. And you can exchange those hours of frustration pushing a loaded trolley around a crowded store for a pleasurable snooze in the garden.

SHIRLEY REYGATE

Bexhill Road,

Ninfield.

No taboo

QUOTE from the front page of your edition of August 3: 'Inspector Martin Mann said: "Both women appeared to be Oriental and therefore the sex trade has to be considered. We will be conducting investigations to see if this is a case of people trafficking."'

In this world of rampant political correctness it is somehow reassuring to know that neither the local police nor the local paper feels bound by these taboos.

A case of guilty until proved innocent?

PETER WEBB

Glenleigh Park Road.

Ground care

I AM writing to raise public awareness of what I believe is something that I hope you will agree is unacceptable and act upon.

As a Bexhill Cricket Club member for 16 years I feel Rother District's Council management of the Polegrove recreation ground and attitude towards developing cricket in the town is second rate.

Members of Bexhill Cricket Club have for many years worked long and hard in improving the ground and facilities, creating a thriving colts section and now operate four cricket teams on a Saturday which are all competitive in their divisions.

Rother District Council has offered the club little support in any of these areas, which is even more bizarre when Bexhill Cricket Club is one of the premier sports clubs in the area and representing the town at county league level.

The issue closest to my own heart is the state of the outfield at the Polegrove recreation ground. As reported in the Bexhill Observer, I suffered a "sickening" injury whilst representing Bexhill when I both broke and dislocated my ankle in July 2006 which has resulted in me not playing cricket for one year and has forced me to retire from other sporting activities.

The injury was a result of the poor state of the outfield. I also believe another injury as serious as mine could happen to any of the cricketers who play at the Polegrove at anytime.

I can accept that Rother District Council would appear is not overly concerned with Bexhill Cricket Club, which is disappointing. However, surely they are required to provide a safe and satisfactory environment for cricketers who are representing the town. Currently Rother District Council in no way adheres to this.

Adam Lawson

Reedswood Road

St Leonards-on-Sea.

Tidy verges

IN his answer to my question (385) to the leader, quoted in Bexhill Observer, August 3, page 8, on roadside verge maintenance, the leader writes 'However, it is generally our policy to leave other landowners (public and private) to fully fund their responsibilities rather than subsidise them' (like Eastbourne do. TT). My interpretation of this 'answer' is that Rother are not going to do anything about it and don't give a fig about what Bexhill roadside verges and approaches look like. I wonder if he would like to comment on my interpretation in case I have mis-interpreted it.

TREVOR THOMAS

De La Warr Road.

Roundabout

WELL done to Cllr Martyn Forster on his enquiries and efforts on our behalf to get this disgraceful roundabout (Glyne Gap) smartened up.

It appears that the controlling authority for this is the Highways Agency.

Something must be done ... and even if sponsorship is too expensive, it still remains the HA's responsibility.

Thousands of visitors use this roundabout and are reminded that they are "Welcome to Bexhill"...what sort of impression do they get? Let's take this matter up with the HA by writing in sufficient numbers until they are encouraged to act!

Write to: Highways Agency, AREA 4, Interoute House, Gillingham Business Park, Kent ME8 0PZ.

M. Norcock

Glenleigh Avenue.

Money-making

BEFORE the debate on wheelie bins recedes, can I bring to your attention the reason why we have been given these bins in the first place? Worthy though the letters page has been on the subject, something has been overlooked. We have been lumbered with these bins and all the confusion that goes with it to raise money from an otherwise law abiding populace.

Look at the larger of the bins; they do look larger, until you observe the bottom half, which is narrow and also a third smaller than our counterparts in Wales. Imagine the amount of black bin liners you previously used per week and then imagine them in the bin. Not much room left is there? Now look at your 'paper bin' and imagine a Sunday paper such as the Sunday Times with all of its handouts, such as 'You' Magazine and the TV magazine for the week, or the Mail on Saturday, with its weekend supplements and so on. Add to this your weekly reading, such as The Sun or The Mirror/Mail. Imagine two weeks of this, not forgetting the additional rubbish we get through our door. That bin starts to look a little small too. In fact, unless you can cook meals from scratch ingredients (ie peeling potatoes, which I cannot as I have persistent arthritis in both hands, or peeling and chopping carrots), are healthy, do not read the paper and live alone, you cannot adhere to these guidelines.

A traditional family, or even just a busy couple who both have to work to pay their increasingly expensive mortgage and the disabled, (just two groups who rely heavily on supermarket packed food), cannot possibly keep to the council guidelines. If we obey the council to the letter we will be overfilling our bins. But the council won't mind - in fact they would be thrilled because they can then legally give us a fine!

Britain emits only 2% of the world's harmful gases, the USA 30%. In addition, the Department of Environment had its budget cut by 14 million last year. Wake up people! We are being conned! Whilst we struggle to separate all our rubbish and in desperation burn our newspapers in our gardens so as not to be fined, (very environmentally healthy) the council are laughing all the way to the bank.

TERESA McENIRY

Cumberland Road.

Bin mystery

In principle I agree recycling is necessary and we should all be doing our bit, including encouraging our children to do the same, after all it's as much their future we are looking to protect as our own. With this in mind when the recycling boxes went out last Friday I saw the dustcart go up the road and thought it would be good for my children to see what happened next after their efforts to sort everything out into the appropriate boxes.

What happened was that both the paper box and the recycling box all went into one wheelie bin and into the same dust cart altogether. Why then are we bothering to do our bit if the refuse company aren't doing theirs?

What a waste of time and effort on everyone's part and how do I answer my youngest son's questions when he asks why did it all go into the same bin mummy when we had to put in different ones?

SHARON RAY-GAIN

Lychgates Close.

Weekly collections

THE Dartford Council ran a referendum on the new " fortnightly " refuse collection - 85% of the populace voted against it.

I have written to the leader on the Rother website asking the question as to whether the local council would run one here. He has seen fit neither to publish my question, nor to reply to it. This being so, your paper will gain enormous respect if you started a referendum in next week's paper.

The question being: "Do you wish to continue with fortnightly refuse collection or revert to weekly collection?" YES / NO.

Would I detect that you are a little too close to the council if you fail to take up my suggestion?

Trusting that you are truly independent.

COLIN ANDREWS

Cooden Sea Road.

Not only independent but ahead of the game! On July 13 we posed the Voteline question: Do you favour a return to weekly rubbish collections? Of those who responded, 70 per cent said Yes. The response was published on July 20. - Ed.

Food waste

AFTER last week's letter my rubbish was taken six weeks and one day later, I sent the cutting from the Daily Mail to the Town Hall, re "The great bins U-turn, where it says Town Halls were told to restore weekly collections of food waste", I have just had an e-mail back from the Town Hall, the chief executive says "As there are no definitive instructions yet to go onto weekly collections, this will not happen - however it is not ruled out in the future.", so the Town Hall is above the Government !, and as stated in your paper last week we separate all the plastic, cardboard, bottles, cans etc and take it ourselves to the recycling centre, but they are all put into the same refuse cart, so why are we separating it can anyone answer that question?

KATHLEEN O'BRIEN (Mrs)

Little Common.

All Ways Roger

I WAS immensely saddened to read of the death of the Observer's angling correspondent, Roger Standen. I first met Roger more than 40 years ago on the banks of Buckhole Reservoir. He and Tony Fuller were already well into the carp fishing scene and Roger, ten years my senior, honed my interest in that branch of angling. He was, in a way, my mentor.

Even in those days Roger was writing for the Observer as the press officer of Hastings and Bexhill Angling Association, under the pseudonym Tinca. If anything, over the years, Roger's passion for the sport grew while mine diminished (although I've never lost interest) and we remained good friends. I was always pleased to see him call, usually delivering a copy of his brainchild, The Freshwater Informer.

His conversation and sense of humour were always refreshing and he was like a sponge for soaking up information. But you didn't have to squeeze the sponge to be fed information. He was always ready to share his knowledge.

In an age when success in angling, to some extent, can be bought (buy the tackle, buy the baits, and a ticket to a heavily-stocked carp water and hey presto), Roger served his angling apprenticeship as anyone who has read his book, All Ways Fishing, will know. He developed that unique quality called 'watercraft' - the uncanny ability to 'read' a water and to sense fish.

I have yet to meet someone more passionate about their sport, but anyone who knew Roger appreciated the fact that this wasn't his only interest. As your report mentioned last week he was a table tennis coach.

But he was also an accomplished and prize-winning photographer. He also had a keen interest in gardening and I enjoyed our horticultural discussions. He was, like many anglers, a keen environmentalist and was stalwart in defending and protecting our inland waters.

It is fitting that the first time we met we were fishing and the last time I saw Roger we were doing the same - not Buckshole this time, but Arlington Reservoir. As was invariably the case, he out-fished me.

The angling world will be poorer without Roger and although this may be presumptuous of me as I haven't been a member of HBAA for some years, I wonder if the club would consider naming a new or existing trophy in Roger's name as a memorial to him.

I was, sadly, unable to attend Wednesday's funeral. It was 'press day' for me. Roger, who was proud to describe himself as an angling journalist, would have known the importance of that.

Lee Pateman

Church Lane

Westfield.

Coastal patrols

MY son Patrick was Coastal Control Officer for Rother District Council for 12 years, and I fully agree with his comments in your article dated August 2, "Officers told don't launch rescue boat in emergency".

On the other hand, I find the council's comments and response both pathetic and lamentable.

The reason Patrick quit his job earlier this year was due to his utter frustration over Rother's incompetence and refusal to upgrade lifesaving equipment, and their refusal to increase their budget in order to provide the necessary safety features and equipment for Bexhill's beaches.

Their beach budget is the same now as it was over 20 years ago! For instance, the boat mentioned in your article is 10 years old, and although the outboard motor was serviced annually, despite Patrick's pleas, the council never spent the money to ensure it was upgraded or seaworthy.

Patrick, who is a surfer and now runs his own water sports shop in Bexhill, has been a fully qualified lifeguard for over 10 years, so I find it strange why the council should state their beach patrol personnel were not trained to rescue people! I find it even stranger why Rother would send my son and his personnel on regular lifesaving and boat courses in the West Country - at ratepayers' expense - then turn around and state, "..their officers must not enter the water themselves as they are not trained to do so".

As for the council's advice that the general public should throw a life-ring (if it hasn't been vandalised!) to a swimmer in distress, indeed shows Rother's incompetence and lack of knowledge about lifesaving. Life-rings were originally designed to be dropped from ships and were NOT designed for beach purposes because they are just too heavy to throw - especially if a swimmer, or person in the sea, is 50 yards from shore!!

It takes less than 30 seconds for a person to drown, so by the time an RNLI boat has arrived from either Hastings or Eastbourne, the person would most likely already be dead.

As the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) stated recently , "a lot of beaches have not got the right gear, and the people that run our beaches need to carry out proper risk assessments". Patrick did - but the Council totally ignored him.

With 681 water-related deaths in the UK during 2005, Bexhill's beaches are now clearly a danger zone for any child or swimmer who gets into difficulty. Whilst Hastings, Eastbourne, Newhaven, Seaford, Brighton, Littlehampton and, even Bognor Regis have their own lifeguards - Rother is now the only Council on the South Coast not to have qualified lifeguards.

Because councils have no legal obligation to pay for lifeguards, my advice to people visiting our area is - give Bexhill's beaches, including Camber, a wide berth!

Paul Meyer

Editor, Rip-Off Britain

www.rip-off.co.uk

Hastings

Gospel truth

WHERE do I begin in replying to Peter Morgan's letter 'Spirit World' (August 3)? Matthew 22: verse 29 seems best. He doesn't seem to know the scriptures or the power of God. A few points from his misguided letter.

(1) Jesus is not my 'brother', he is my God and King. All bible believing followers of Jesus Christ are my brothers and sisters.

(2) Jesus did not rise from death 'after three days', he died on the Friday afternoon and was risen on Sunday morning, less than two days.

His error is in the Jewish counting of the day something happens as a whole day in both the case of the Jesus' death (not 'so called' but actual!) and his rising.

(3) Yes Jesus did raise Lazarus from physical death, Mr Morgan's point is not clear here. More evidence surely that he was dead/sleeping, not alive in paradise.

(4) The words spoken at funerals prove again that resurrection will happen - WHEN Jesus returns on the last day.

I stand firm that mediums can't speak to dead people. Have I even tried, yes it is one of my many misunderstandings before I studied the scriptures. One of my many, many sins that happen each and every day.

What is and isn't a religion 'legally' doesn't concern me. Although I must obey the law of the country I live in, this is ONLY where it does not contradict the scriptures. There is only one God - Yahweh - revealed to us all in the bible and through his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Lastly I never suggested that any priest would be communicating with the dead at the Bowling Alley. I challenge Mr Morgan to read just the one of the gospels and tell us what could be present, if anything.

PAUL MINTER

Uplands Close.

Cult danger

THE letter on Spiritualism in last week's Observer needs an answer.

Spiritualism may be a church legally, but it is not a Christian church, because Christians are forbidden to have any contact with the spirits of the dead. God is not a spoilsport, but only concerned with our health and welfare and places spiritualism (which includes witchcraft and necromancy) alongside adultery and murder in that it breaks up relationships and takes human life with all the resulting unhappiness.

There are many in psychiatric wards and prison that are there because of an involvement in the occult; our family was blighted when my brother became severely disturbed after a session with a Ouija board, which ended with his suicide.

There is only one person who has died whom we may contact and that is the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who died 'the just for the unjust' who 'was dead and is alive forevermore.'

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED.

Tory confusion

YOUR latest poll across the Observer group. "Do you think David Cameron is losing credibility as Tory leader?", produced most interesting results (Observer August 3). Hastings voters just gave the nod to Cameron while Battle gave him a more comfortable approval.

But Bexhill - God bless awkward Bexhill! - delivered a crushing indictment of the Dear Leader. Not since William Hague's "popularity" stood at a similar level back in 1998 has a Tory leader slumped so badly. But while Hague was identifiably Tory can the same be said of Cameron? If David Cameron is sincere in his belief that the Tory party needs "modernisation" and "reform", needs to occupy the "centre ground" which he asserts is its natural place, must embrace social justice and public services, should address such tax issues as wealth redistribution and the wealthy divide, and so on, then has he any business being a Tory?

If Cameron is sincere then should he not either stand as an Independent, join a party more in line with his thinking, or form his own party? For the same reason I've never been entirely convinced by the charge that has dogged Cameron (and his close associates) that he is "all style and no substance", but can readily see why even the cufflink wearing brigade is having its doubts. Actually that charge can now also be levelled at Gordon Brown, who has signally failed to meet his own "challenge of change" on a range of policies from Iraq to the Post Office.

The dismal showing by the Conservatives in the Sedgefield and Ealing Southall by-elections is a reflection of the confusing picture they are presenting and the dilemma that their leader is increasingly posing for them.

STEPHEN JACKSON

Second Avenue.

Sidley fall

WE would like, through your paper, to thank all the kind Sidley people who gave us so much help when my husband fell at the corner of Sidley Street on Saturday morning, July 21.

Two ladies helped to make him comfortable with cushions under his head and called an ambulance. Two young ladies came down to Earls where I was shopping and helped me up the road. Thanks to the taxi office for offering me a seat and to our postman who gave me a lift home.

Finally we would like to commend the A & E department at The Conquest Hospital for their cheerful efficiency.

LESLIE AND EVE MILLER

Southlands Road.

Ambulance coffee

MAY I, through your letters paper, thank Margaret Easton, Jean Bishop and their husbands for organising a very successful coffee morning to raise funds for the Sussex Air Ambulance.

A lot of work goes into these events, not only in the preparation beforehand, but all the clearing up afterwards, so I'd like to say "Well done to them all" and thank you to Jean and Alan for opening their garden to us.

S A NASH

Birkdale.