Letters to the Editor - 14th February 2008

Feb 14 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

A stronger work ethic

I READ with interest your leading article last Saturday regarding the difficulties in getting local skilled labour into meaningful employment. Our company relocated back to Merseyside in the early 1980s with a policy to employ and train as many local people as possible, as we were and still are, passionate to nurture local talent.

Sadly, this has not has not happened as we intended, as a small family-run concern who specialise in the interior design and building sector we have huge difficulty in getting a labour force who are as committed as ourselves.

I can quote you many instances, for example, sewing machinists who don't understand why the customer complains if her curtains are made with the pattern upside down to joiners who have just come out of their apprenticeship who think they should be paid £200 per day and have a two-hour lunch, but cannot hang doors properly.

So, in despair, we employ workers from Eastern Europe, who whilst they struggle with the language, will tell us that if they do a bad job, they don't expect paying, and have the work ethic that is sadly lacking among our own.

While the media in general (and their peers) allow people to believe that they are entitled to substantial wages to fund their holidays etc without being prepared to put the hours in, they will lose out to those who are prepared to work.

As a lifelong socialist, this has proved very difficult for me, but I cannot bear to see all our endeavours fail because nobody else cares.

Name and address supplied

A vibrant city

I LEFT Liverpool nearly 30 years ago when my husband and I, along with our three young children, emigrated to Christchurch, in New Zealand.

Although I kept planning return trips to see family and friends, I had never managed to make a return trip to my beloved home city until three weeks ago when my brothers and sisters organised a surprise trip home for my sixtieth birthday.

In the three decades since I last saw the Mersey and all the other beautiful sites that makes Liverpool so famous, I can’t believe the radical and beautiful transformation that the city has gone through. My sister had told me about the wonderful new buildings such as the FACT cinema and Metquarter, but until I saw them I couldn’t believe it.

I wish I could be in Liverpool for more of the Capital of Culture celebrations as I think the city will definitely show itself, quite rightly so, as one of the world’s best. Liverpool was very different when I left in 1978, and now that I’ve visited again in 2008 I still feel such pride at coming from such a beautiful and vibrant city.

Jenny Maloney, nee Hanratty, formerly of Wavertree, now Christchurch, New Zealand

Split service

REGARDING the Liverpool to Chester Merseyrail service, I’d like to give some of my own thoughts.

There are some train services in this country that are combined and split at certain points.

For instance, there is a service that runs from London Victoria composed of two four-car trains which split at Faversham with one set going to Ramsgate and the other to Dover.

Also, the West Highland network is served by a service from Glasgow Queen Street made up of two two-car trains which split at Crianlarich with one going to Oban and the other to Fort William and Mallaig.

Now, I’ve thought for a while that there may be a case for doing this on the Liverpool to Chester/Ellesmere Port corridor.

After all, we currently have two separate services from Liverpool to Chester and Ellesmere Port. However, given that they follow the same route for such a large percentage of their journeys, might there perhaps be a case for coupling them together and splitting them at Hooton?

This would then give the capacity to double the frequency of the service, which would surely go down well with people who use the route.

Philip Ion, Greasby

Little faith

I HOPE Wirral’s “senior councillor” and cabinet member for regeneration is not just seeking publicity for his own re-election and is sincere in his view that Sea View Meadows, in Leasowe, must not be lost for yet more housing (“Send seafront developer packing, says councillor”, Daily Post, February 13).

If he is, then I should point out to him that the land in question is not, as he states, green belt land “which people actively use and enjoy”.

The land is, in fact, surrounded by barbed-wire fencing and not available to use by the public.

However, the land does form part of the flood plain and is part of the “seascape” of the Common and Leasowe Golf Club land which offers virtually uninterrupted views of the estuary for residents and visitors.

It’s a great shame we didn’t see the council share the cabinet members’ views when they agreed to allow housing on the former market gardens off Leasowe Road; the Moreton AFC Ground and Fender Farm.

With these examples behind us, is it any wonder people have so little faith in Wirral’s planning committee to take the right decision on Sea View Meadows?

Ian Lewis, chairman, Wallasey Conservatives

Conflict of interest

IT APPEARS there is some conflict of interest between Peel Holdings and YI, the developers of the King Edward Tower site.

I do hope they can resolve this issue amicably, and that Peel, with its vast admirable and innovative plans for the North, can broker a deal for YI.

After all, YI do own the site and their scheme (King Edward Tower) is a worthwhile project and represents to be fair, just a small piece of the pie. Besides, YI have enough on their plate dealing with Jim Gill’s unfortunate remarks and the probable intrusion of English heritage and CABE with their objections to practically every modern piece of architecture around.

I do hope King Edward Tower gets off the ground, for it is a brilliant inspirational building (multi faceted) and well funded.

It will, I feel, enhance and regenerate that part of Liverpool.

Frank McQuillam, Fairfield

Congestion charges

RE: YOUR report on congestion charging. I read with some incredulity the reported comments that some form of congestion charging is required to alleviate the city centre snarl-ups.

Up until a couple of years ago, Liverpool didn’t have any serious traffic congestion, even at peak times, as we had a road system that actually allowed traffic to flow freely and evenly.

What changed things was the completely incompetent planning and implementation of the current “improvements” which overnight brought the city to a standstill and, which are wholly responsible for the current difficulties.

And who was responsible for this?

The very same engineers who are now calling for congestion charging.

Perhaps we should sack the lot of them and get back to basics instead of dreaming up ever more complex and inflexible schemes that do so much damage to the city economy.

David Jones, Liverpool 18

A huge mistake

I SUSPECT that this letter will be one of very many you receive following the item in last Friday’s Daily Post.

The present problem of congestion has been forecast over the past few years very vociferously on the radio and on your pages.

It would appear that our insular politicians and their paid “advisors” will not acknowledge their huge mistake – The Big Dig and road narrowing. To illustrate the “experts” competence, look at how many times they had to alter “Switch Island” over many years before they achieved any semblance of order.

Of course, this was at huge reward for them at the expense of the taxpayer.

Will those in authority never learn?

A Draper, Ormskirk

Cover picture

HOW nice to see the elder statesman of the team of councillors from Fazakerley gracing the front page of your newspaper on Tuesday, February 5, showing that, despite his advancing years and declining health, he can still get his face on the front of a newspaper.

It is such a pity that it was in connection with his support for an increase in Mersey Tunnel tolls, rather than something positive for the benefit of the city and the people he represents.

Graham C Seddon, L9

Character banned

I WAS intrigued to learn from a recent “Have I Got News For you” that the cartoon character Tinky Winky is banned in Poland – because he carried a handbag, denoting he is gay!

Surely children of an age to watch Tinky Winky won’t be corrupted by the little fellow, will they? Or any other young viewers, for that matter.

Mrs McArt, Liverpool 15

Staying power

RE: VIRGIN Plan for Healthcare (Daily Post, February 5).

I hope Richard Branson manages to keep his GPs in this new project longer than in the practice I have been a patient at for over 35 years.

I feel so frustrated when I go for a hospital appointment and they ask me who is my GP because every time I mention a name, the GP in question has moved, unlike the previous 25 years when I saw the same GP for years.

Fiona Henderson, L27

Ageing process

MORE and more men and women are trying to hold back the hands of time by having facelifts. Sadly, their inferior anatomy will then not match their outward appearance.

One of Shakespeare’s characters sums up my views amiably: “What fools these mortals be.”

Name and address supplied