Letters to the Editor - 25th June 2008

Jun 25 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Poor show at festival

WHAT festival was Samantha Parker at (Daily Post, June 23, Africa Oyé)?

“Thousands of people flocked to the event”, the article said. I say this must have been the smallest crowd I've ever seen at a music festival, and certainly at an Africa Oye festival.

There were probably a couple of thousand in front of the stage, admittedly, but it was very disappointing for the “biggest free African music festival in the UK” as their flyer suggests. And this in 2008, our Capital of Culture year.

Years ago, it was in Concert Square, Albert Dock, Sefton Park and had gigs in clubs, etc, now it is only in Sefton Park. How has it got bigger?

Africa Oyé does not even have many sponsors to support it. Has the festival run its course, is it on its last legs?

It seems so, which is a pity because the organisers put a lot into it, but even they will feel downhearted. If there is no support, why have it?

The bad weather cannot be blamed – there are huge attendances for football and pop/Beatle events.

Sadly, maybe that is all Liverpool wants.

John Rowlands, Liverpool L8

Brilliant party

WHAT a party! Africa Oyé was simply brilliant, again, for those of us who weren't deterred by the weather.

Wonderful music, fab atmosphere, simply great people – and while they mentioned at the end that funding is under threat, it would be disastrous to lose Britain's only free African music festival and a wonderful weekend for everyone in the city and far beyond.

Free, child-friendly and simply brilliant.

Carol Davis, L17

Hotel plans

RE: THE West Kirby hotel consultation. Readers of your report: “Locals get their say on plan for West Kirby’s future” (Daily Post, June 21) should be aware that local councillors have not been consulted on the form or content of the long-awaited consultation process.

West Kirby people are rightly concerned that this should not be decided by the developer. When details were announced at the recent West Wirral Area Forum, officers were told by elected members that they would expect the outcome to be independently scrutinised.

I would urge all West Kirby residents to view the exhibition of the latest plans at the Concourse (June 26-28) and to make their feelings known.

Whenever this project, albeit not the latest plan, has been put to a vote at well-attended public meetings, the response has been massively against.

It will be interesting to see if there has been any change of local opinion and, if not, whether West Kirby people will treated with more respect than the Irish have over their rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.

Geoffrey Watt, Conservative councillor for West Kirby & Thurstaston Ward

Belief in freedom

IN REPLY to Mr Molyneux`s letter (“Wrong State” Daily Post, June 23) I would say that his view of history is different to that shared by most in the West, who have enjoyed the freedoms that generations have fought for against brutal regimes who wished to impose their anti-democratic dictatorships upon us.

Does he condone the actions of the regime that caused the deaths of the millions of people who died during and after the Russian Revolution, either through the fighting by execution or starvation. Would he call that democratic ?

Following six years of bitter fighting in WW2 Europe was liberated and the democratic process was returned, this would not have happened had it not been for the help of America and sacrifice of so many of its troops.

I think Mr Molyneux’s views are an affront to those of us who believe in freedom, but as we live in a democracy he is entitled to express them.

Philip Griffiths, UK Independence Party

Tunnel medals

IT WAS interesting to see, in last Monday’s Daily Post, people walking through the tunnel on the afternoon of June 15.

I was a little girl when the tunnel opened and I had not long started Fonthill Road School, in Kirkdale – the year was 1934.

We all received a medal to commemorate the opening of the tunnel, which I still treasure.

It was presented by the Mersey Tunnel Joint Committee and people were able to walk through the tunnel to celebrate its opening by the King and Queen.

I wonder if anyone out there still has their medal from all those years ago

OE Brown, Lancs

Walk memories

YOUR letter, written by Eddie Roberts and entitled Tunnel Vision, brought back memories as I walked through the tunnel when it was first opened.

No bands or fanfare and, sadly, no medals, just the honour of the walk, to celebrate a marvellous piece of engineering.

I remember earlier on the excitement when both tunnels met in the middle, and I certainly didn’t think I would one day ride through in a bus.

As you will gather, I am getting on a bit, and wonder how many of us are left who did that walk.

Margaret Scott, Upton, Wirral

Penalty chances

SO FAR, two Euro 2008 quarter- finals have been decided by penalties.

Am I the only one to notice that in both cases the team kicking into their own fans won?

Turkey over Croatia and now Spain over Italy.

I wonder which end professional footballers would like to fire into? Their own fans or the hissing and booing opposition?

These matches are being decided on the toss of a coin in determining which end to use for the penalty shoot-outs. It’s becoming a farce. Of course, it’s far too obvious to suggest it would be fairer to use both ends. That would just not be football.

Neil Branigan-Owens, Croxteth

Publicity stunt?

WITH reference to the theft of the baby Superlambanana from Hope Street and the subsequent request from Maghull Developments for its safe return. Please, please do not tell me this was a publicity stunt.

Why on earth would anyone pretend that the Superlambanana had been stolen?

This goes against everything that the people of Liverpool have been fighting against for years now.

It just reminded me of all the negative old jokes about cars on bricks, etc, an image we have hopefully shaken off.

I don’t think it’s remotely clever, I wouldn’t imagine the people of Liverpool would think it’s funny to be labelled as thieves when we are all working so hard to improve the reputation of our city and embracing Capital of Culture.

Name and address supplied

Great ambassadors

I COMPLETELY agree with your letter writer Eric Moffat (Letters, Tuesday) on the subject of the Superlambananas.

They would make brilliant ambassadors for the city and it is a shame that all the “baby” ones will only be around for 10 weeks.

Please can't we make some arrangement to at least keep them on the streets until the end of our Culture year?

JL, Southport

Time for a change

IN THE interests of the environment, I try to leave my car at home as often as is practical and use public transport.

After all, I have a free bus pass which I can now use in many places I wish to travel in.

Unfortunately, public transport has not met up with my expectations.

I have spent more time standing in bus stops than I have actually travelling!

However, I haven’t been idle standing there, I have come up with a better idea of improving our “carbon footprint” (apart from physically making footprints, that is).

Let’s do away with the so-called timetables pasted on each bus shelter.

We would not only save paper, but also ink, and the labour of printing them and then the work of distributing them.

As they bear no reference to the actual time one might expect a bus or three to arrive, let’s ditch them. It would free us from so much frustration and time-wasting. I hope you agree.

Mrs MR Silcock, Liverpool

Dancing girls

ON BEHALF of myself and Councillors Jane Corbett and Ann O'Byrne, I would like to thank Barbara English and the Bedford Road Morris Dancers for inviting us to Walton Sports Centre to see the girls perform.

The dancers were brilliant and Barbara does a brilliant job with the volunteers and the girls. The dancers are not only a credit to the County ward, but the whole of Walton.

Once again, thanks for inviting us, and keep up the good work.

Gerard Woodhouse, Labour Party Campaigner County Ward

MPs’ pay

CHANCELLOR Alistair Darling has stated that: “Workers should be prepared to accept below inflation pay rises to avert spiralling inflation.”

What about those workers in the House of Commons – and I don’t mean the cleaners and catering staff – who are expected to vote on an annual pay increase of £40,000. Whatever happened to the principle of a “worker’s MP on a worker’s wage?”.

Raph Parkinson, Branch Chair, Liverpool UNISON

Surgery hours

ONE should not be surprised that GPs are ignoring the deal on enhanced surgery hours (DP, June 18).

It is another aspect of a pleasing Ministry announcement with zero improvement.

After 25 years of massive cash investment, we are still at the bottom of the health league tables. The NHS is now provider-orientated, not patient centred.

Ossie Jones, L17