Letters to the Editor - 11th March 2008

Mar 11 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Inspiration from the past

WHEN looking at old photographs of Liverpool as it was in the aftermath of the bombings in WW2, and in particular, the paintings of Allan P Tankard, it is clear why so many Liverpudlians feel such disdain for local politicians and planners. It is because we can see that, instead of fighting tooth and nail to repair, restore and stitch back the fabric of so many fine buildings, squares and streets, the politicians and planners took the easy option – demolition.

All Liverpool’s councillors and planners should be gifted a copy of Kay Parrott’s wonderful book entitled A Portrait Of Liverpool (Bluecoat Press) which contains many of Allan P Tankard’s best work, to remind them of just how handsome a city this once was even after Hitler’s bombs.

It may inspire them to speak out the next time some planner or developer has the bright idea of levelling buildings and areas of the quality of the old Customs House, St John’s Market, or Clayton Square, all now sadly lost.

Who knows, they may even come to realise that the Victorian planners actually knew what they were doing and go back to some of their original layouts and building designs.

P Saeed, address supplied

Liverpool pride

A GOOD friend of mine was recently made redundant from a well-paid job. He was naturally very upset as it came right out of the blue.

Being good at his job means he could easily find a similar position in the same industry. However, he would have to move to another city or perhaps another country.

My friend was born in London, brought up in Canada and moved to Blackpool in his early 20s. He was offered a job in the south of France and his daughter, aged 12, speaks mainly French. After his marriage failed, he was offered a job in Liverpool and has been here five years.

He has never owned any property wherever he has lived throughout the world. But, after six months in Liverpool, he decided this was finally the place he wanted to be, so bought a house in Orrell Park.

My friend has no relatives or steady relationship in Liverpool and now no job. He does, how- ever, have lots of good friends. He loves our city and does not want to leave to find another job.

I live in Liverpool through accident of birth. He chose to live here. His story makes me feel humble, yet proud to be a Scouser.

Neil Branigan Owens, Croxteth

Easy target

HAVING recently watched a BBC Northwest Tonight programme, I was greatly angered by an item which should make people think twice before voting Labour ever again.

It featured a man who was tearfully talking about leaving a job he loved at Remploy, in Birkenhead. This was a man who did not want to claim Incapacity Benefit but who is being forced to. Every person who witch-hunts people on benefits should be made to watch this item. The gentleman concerned could not find work in “mainstream” employment because of employer discrimination.

Publicising this man’s plight doesn't fit in with the media and New Labour’s agenda to deride IB claimants as scroungers and layabouts. Or the fact there are only 700,000 jobs for 2.6m IB claimants (not counting the “fit” unemployed).

Of course it’s easy to witch-hunt the disabled, it takes our mind off the real scroungers within the Palace of Westminster.

R Mason, via email

A force for good

CLLR FRAENKEL thinks that Liverpool under the Lib-Dems has reflections of the long-gone days of the often wrongly-called Militant Council. I would have to agree with the councillor, but not for the same reasons. The Labour council she talks about built much-needed homes across the city at a great personal cost to each one of those council members.

The so-called Militant Council took a financial beating from the then rulers in Westminster in a vain effort to crush the heart out of our city. The current Lib-Dem council has re-built the city centre which will create many much-needed jobs for Liverpool and also bring in many millions in trade. They have also grabbed Capital of Culture to boot, the benefits of which we will reap in the years to come just as Glasgow has done.

Both the Labour council of old and the current Lib-Dem council have done well for the city in the face of Governments both Tory and now new Labour who will not give us our fair dues and seem to have a hidden agenda to keep Liverpool down.

John Cotton, Walton

All washed-up

BEING an “old Liverpudlian” now living elsewhere, I wonder whether any of your readers may be able to help me lay to rest a myth that I have heard since the Second World War. Shortly after the war ended, I joined the Cunard Line which at that time carried thousands of passengers between Liverpool and the USA and Canada on board ships such as the Franconia, Ascania and Britannic.

During my time with the line, I heard from some of the sea-going staff that on occasions dirty crockery was heaved overboard to “help with the washing up”. A mountain of this crockery was supposed to have built up on the ocean floor and I seem to remember watching a TV programme which showed a deep-ocean submarine vessel detecting this broken china.

Obviously, at the time, nobody could possibly own up to this, shall we say, innovative practice. But now that more than 50 years have passed, perhaps one of your readers who was a member of the crew could put up their hands to verify or debunk this tale.

P Hope, Tarvin

Something special

WE HAD booked a table at La Cubanita last Friday for my birthday and I must admit, after I read your review (March 1), I was almost at the point of re- arranging the venue. I’m so glad I did not. The atmosphere was vibrant, the band was amazing and the food was superb.

The restaurant wasn’t full but it was busy and it wasn’t cold either (maybe they had taken note from your comments?) – and we had an absolutely wonderful time.

What I liked most of all about La Cubanita was ordinary people dancing, but not just dancing, salsa dancing. The “glamorous lady” gently points people who are sashaying at the bar to the dance floor and after a few tentative moments they are loving it. I was so envious I have put salsa classes on my to do list for this year.

We had a fabulous evening and I think La Cubanita is really something quite special.

Laura-Jane Hall, Claughton

Tunnel vision

I HAVE been telling my grandchildren for years that I once walked through the Mersey Tunnel and they won’t believe me.

Now I can prove I have been telling the truth all these years because we are going to be able to do it again in June.

I don’t think I did it in 1994, though, as it says in the Daily Post (Monday, March 10), I’m sure it was longer ago than that, although not as long ago as 1934 as I would have only been three-years-old then.

Perhaps a reader can shed some light on this for me? Maybe someone who has also walked through the tunnel before.

I have promised I will buy my grandchildren tickets for the walk in June, although I won’t be going along with them this time as I have a stiff leg and would just slow them down.

Thanks for the memories.

Mrs Harte, West Kirby

Such talent

MAY I put on record my appreciation for the organisers and artists of the event held on Friday, March 7, in the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

“The Sistas doing it for Liverpool” show highlighted the talent among female singers, dancers, musicians and comedians from within the black community here in Liverpool and from other parts of the country. Unison was proud to support this event which promotes anti-racism here in our city of culture.

Raph Parkinson, Branch Chair

Shocking

IT IS shocking that some top tax office officials are to receive massive bonuses when there has been another year of failure in the service. Not just in the much publicised failures of the Tax Credit system but in many much smaller cases.

This ignores the additional costs of bringing the cases which are, under the EU’s supremacy, set to head to the European Court of Justice under the Sixth Directive.

Mark Bill, via email

Applaud them

RE: YOUR front-page story yesterday about the number of workers from abroad coming into the region. This should be applauded. I am fed up of hearing xenophobic comments from people around here about Polish and Eastern European workers often from the self-same people who themselves have not worked a day in years preferring to scrounge off the government.

I work with a number of nurses who have come to the UK to work and in my experience all of them have been dedicated and hard- working individuals, often who are trying to support families both in this country and back home, unlike some of the work-shy individuals who are lucky enough to have been born here.

H Jones, Warrington