Letters to the Editor - 08th February 2008

Feb 8 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Give Peter some credit

MR DURKIN whines on about Peter Elson’s whining (Letters, February 6) and I have to disagree with his comments entirely.

He says we get what we deserve as a society. How defeatist is this? If we all adopted this attitude, we would all be writing whingeing letters about journalists wanting to change things, which Mr Elson has done on countless occasions.

Peter has never been given the proper credit for his work in saving the Chambré Hardman archive through his Daily Post campaign for the people of Liverpool. Mr Elson, in his own way, changed the system by helping people to understand, through photographs, a side of Liverpool which some may feel nostalgic about and rightly so. We are yet to experience the full impact of his work.

I complimented Mr Elson on this very Letters page on his excellent recent articles. His views sum up those of anyone who has been unfortunate to view, from the Wirral, the destruction and architectural erosion of Liverpool’s once great skyline by modern architecture. As he says, the only consolation is it won’t last more than 20 years.

Mr Elson reflected my views. I am proud to say that, and it is his encyclopaedic knowledge of this once great city and its countless philanthropists and great people that he calls on to evoke a spirit for the new era.

It is not his fault that he is aesthetically acute enough to be able to identify all those mistakes unfolding before our very eyes. If Mr Durkin writes from his trendy city centre apartment with empty flats as neighbours, he should know better. Stop whining and show some respect.

Charles Korsham, L18

Left at the wayside

WE REFER to your article on January 29 entitled “Instant teachers” and should state that we first responded on July 30 when you first highlighted this project. We cannot comprehend why it has been given the green light.

As previously stated in our last letter, our son is yet to be offered a permanent teaching post since graduating two years ago and after reading your article he despairs of any future in teaching.

Doesn’t this action rather undermine those graduates who have taken the traditional route – are there similar projects in the pipeline for doctors and dentists? We don’t think so.

Rather than instant teachers, what is happening to those qualif- ied teachers left at the wayside? Children are our future and their education should not be compromised.

Notwithstanding its success in London, here in Liverpool, we appear to have few teaching vacancies so why does the council fund new projects instead of utilising fund for schools to recruit NQTs?

Life is about dreams – committed and dedicated teachers make them come true if they are given the chance.

P and S Smythe, Woolton

Bugging outcry

THOSE of us who remember the story by Richard Elias of the Daily Post, which appeared on January 14, 2002, entitled “Bizarre Case of Bug in Solicitor’s Office”, note the outcry in Parliament over the alleged bugging of an MP’s conversations with a constituent. However, I don’t remember at the time any MP expressing outrage at the action taken in Operation Lonestar by Merseyside Police in bugging now deceased solicitor Kevin Dooley’s office, thereby recording what should be entirely private and privileged conversations with clients.

No action was ever taken against Mr Dooley, but what happened to the transcripts of those conversations? Who authorised the bugging and how often are solicitors’ conversations with clients monitored? I won’t be holding my breath waiting for answers to these questions!

Ann B Firth (Mrs), L23

Remember integrity?

SO THE Audit Commission has finally caught up with what has been apparent for some time – Liverpool City Council’s finances are mis-managed – the same as under the previous Labour administration; compounded by Labour’s mis-management of bodies such as Merseytravel. Liverpool’s Lib-Dem council are now talking about bringing in external expert advisors – at substantial further expense.

What are the chances of those responsible for placing us taxpayers in this mess resigning or being replaced (without a massive pay-off) or taking a pay cut? (not least as the size and duties of the council, eg, transfer of council housing has been substantially reduced?). Sorry about integrity, public service and accountability in the public sector – that’s a parallel universe.

Mark Bill, via email

Just the facts

YOUR correspondent A Capleton’s “More than a game” (Letters, February 5) certainly brought back memories of that early post-war match and thoughts of how football has changed since then (for better or worse?).

The game he speaks of was, in fact, against Arsenal who were beaten by the Reds 4-2, and captain Jack Balmer did achieve his third hat-trick in a row. People of a certain age may remember the team as: Sidlow, Lambert, Ramsden, Taylor, Hughes, Paisley, Eastham, Balmer, Stubbins, Done and Liddell.

A significant fact arising from this first post-war season was that Matt Busby had decided to retire from playing and was offered an administrative post by Liverpool. However, he decided that the job of managing Manchester United looked the more attractive option and the rest, as they say, is history.

J Middleton, via email

Slavery still alive

AS A Christian, I feel I must make known my feelings about the inhumanity which still prevails in Europe and the rest of the world. Every day I listen to the news and am disgusted at man’s inhumanity towards one another.

What I especially find very disturbing are the growing number of cases of human trafficking, especially young women from the poorer regions of Europe who are exploited by their own people.

They give their life savings for the promise of a better future in this country and other wealthy European countries, and when they get to their destination they have no work permits and are drugged and forced to work as prostitutes or in other low-paid jobs and treated like slaves.

It is high time we reinstated Christianity to its rightful place in this country, raised up the banner of William Wilberforce and rounded up the criminals to end this evil slave trade forever.

These modern-day slave traders and drug barons should be brought to justice.

R Davies, Holyhead

Who can judge?

I AM writing in reply to the article about the bishop and gay ministers in the church (Daily Post, February 6). When God created, he chose a man and a woman – Adam and Eve – who got together in the Garden of Eden and that is the way it should have stayed.

But, having said that, Jesus chose 12 men as his disciples who joined him at his last supper. He was also followed by a large con- gregation of men on his journeys preaching the Gospel. So who are we to judge? We only believe what we are taught about the Bible.

M Green (Mrs), Knotty Ash

Religious outcry

RE: THE report in the Daily Post (February 6) on the Bishop’s “Rethink over gay relations”. Can I be forgiven for being worried when I read of gay relationships?

It seems to me that a person’s sexual orientation is between their conscience and their God. If people who preach and promote homosexuality wish to be called Christians, then they have to answer St Paul’s letter to the Romans 1:18.

AJ Leek, L23

Pay less, not more

IT IS absolutely ludicrous that we are paying for the tunnels at all, let alone that they have just hiked up the price again. A journey through the tunnels is not the most pleasant anyway. But knowing you know have to fork out getting on for three quid for the privilege of going to Liverpool and back is a real kick in the teeth.

We should be paying less, not more, and the councillors who voted in this latest rise should be ashamed of themselves. All it will do is drive more people from Wirral to avoid Liverpool.

S Power, Wallasey

Passion for life

MRS KALIL ( Letters, February 4) is wrong in her assumption that West Kirby residents oppose the building of a hotel on the seafront at West Kirby. I live in West Kirby with my husband and young family, welcome the proposal wholeheartedly and am not alone in doing so.

I look forward to the regeneration it would bring, the facilities it would offer and the statement it would make about our community. Namely, that we are a lively, contemporary seaside town with a passion for life, and not a backwater with its eyes on the past.

Name and address supplied

Grandfather of pop

I MUST say that I am very disappointed with Cliff Richard’s remarks about The Beatles’ guitar music. He may want to be the father of pop, but all he proves is that there is no age limit on jealousy.

L McDevitt, Penketh

End of an era

I CANNOT believe the BBC is dropping Grange Hill after 30 years.

When I was growing up in the 80s, it was my favourite programme, and the show has launched the careers of many stars, including the actor who later went on to play Mark Fowler in Eastenders.

I think it is a crazy decision. They claim it is no longer of relevance to young people, but what on Earth are they talking about? Every child goes to school.

Surely it is the scripts that are not relevant, rather than the concept of the show, in which case perhaps they should think about revamping Grange Hill rather than axing it altogether.

If the programme dealt with real life, then this would be the most popular show for kids on TV.

T Hardy, Liverpool