Last updated 17:28, Wednesday, 18 June 2008

SIR – As a democratically-elected member of Copeland Council and as a former trade union leader at Sellafield with 34 years of loyal service to the nuclear industry and the West Cumbrian community, I would like answers to a number of concerns I have regarding the impending announcement of the “preferred bidder” for the contract of the Sellafield site.

I ask these given that the main criterion (at least as far as our community is concerned) is what the company that gets this lucrative contract is going to deliver in respect of a community package.
My concerns are as follows:
Why have all 51 elected members of Copeland Council not been given the opportunity to question all four companies competing for the contract prior to the contract being awarded?
Who is actually making the decision on who gets the contract, is it the NDA or central government?
Why has the NDA as an organisation failed to integrate with the West Cumbrian community? Given the fact that Sellafield Ltd meet Copeland Council on a frequent basis, despite constant requests from councillors that it should be the NDA we meet, not Sellafield Ltd.
Once the contract is awarded, are the “community packages” from all four companies going to be made public in order to reassure the community that the correct decision was made on its behalf? After all, transparency is a key requirement.
In summary, our community has served the nuclear industry well for over 50 years. In order for our community to have a long-term sustainable future, any company running the Sellafield site must emphasise to the “supply chain” (which is worth billions of pounds) that companies need to relocate into West Cumbria to ensure we do not become just a tourist area without decent, well-paid employment.
The nuclear industry owes this community and now is time for the payback.
John KANE
Councillor for Harbour Ward
Less whingeing, more gratitude
SIR – Events in Whitehaven in the last couple of weeks have shown that we in Britain – and perhaps particularly us in the North – are the best at everything. Well, when it comes to whingeing and moaning it seems we can leave everyone else standing.
While Gerard Richardson and his team were working hard – on a voluntary basis – to organise the royal visit and make sure it was a success, there were those who just couldn’t wait to get their criticisms in print. And not one of them lifted a finger to help.
It was a remarkable coup persuading the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to visit. But the letters in The Whitehaven News (June 12) criticising the event and the organisers must have been dashed off before HM’s shadow had even faded into the distance. Now the dust is beginning to settle one can only hope that the authors of those missives are suitably embarrassed. They should be.
It would be nice to think that children from St Begh’s Junior and Moresby Primary are being encouraged to see that organisers of the visit – and Mr Richardson in particular – were doing their best, rather than being taught that firing off letters blaming someone else for the problems is the most appropriate course of action. In particular the letter from Moresby School’s headteacher was a poor example to our youngsters. It epitomises all the negative characteristics we dislike in our children today: selfishness, not taking responsibility for their own behaviour, disregarding others’ feelings – not to mention downright rudeness. I trust Mr Richardson has already received your letter of apology, Mrs Adams, along with lots of lovely letters from the children expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to take part in such a great occasion.
It was a great occasion for the town, but the local and national news coverage on my TV was clearly not the same as on the sets of the anti-gurning brigade. What I saw was a woman who showed every sign of bemusement at first, but then a mischievous grin spread across her face as realisation dawned. You don’t get that at a ship launch or the State opening of Parliament. At least the royal sense of humour got a look in showing that she doesn’t always take herself too seriously.
Sadly the same can’t be said of her subjects Westhead, Coon and Parnaby: it must be chilly up there on their high horses. Come on down and join the fun! Far from mocking us, people in other parts of the country were delighted and tickled pink to see Whitehaven’s gurning welcome of the monarch.
Gerard Richardson should be congratulated and heartily thanked by the town for organising this. Very few people could have pulled this off. ‘Thank you’ seems hardly adequate for all of us who love our town and want the best for it.
Lesley PARK
Church Street
Whitehaven

SIR – A letter (June 12) indicated that Iceland employed a car park attendant purely for the duration of the Queen’s visit on June 5, and the implication is that we did this to stop people parking near town.
I strongly object to this allegation, and I am writing to clarify the situation.
The Euro Car parking attendant has been on site since March 2008 patrolling the car park and managing a 90-minute free parking period.
Eurocar Parks are contracted to undertake this work by Aldi,who are the main freeholders of the site. Iceland has at no time employed the services of a car park attendant, and any comments or issues should be directed to Aldi.
I would be grateful if you could please print clarification of these points for your readers and my customers.
Richard JACKSON
Store Manager
Iceland, Whitehaven

SIR – I have to admit that I had a giggle over last week’s letters page. That picture of Her Majesty watching the current gurning champion going at it was quite something, but the response it got from the three respondents (Margaret Westhead, Robert Coon and Brian Parnaby) really did set me off! ‘Out-of-towners’ one and all!
Not only did they show themselves up for their distinct lack of a sense of humour, but they also showed themselves off to be distinctly ‘non-Cumbrian’ in attitude. One could imagine Her Majesty thinking ‘what a quaint rural English custom’ or some such (because I know that she is a gracious down-to-earth person), but why can’t anyone else see that she must surely have come face to face with more bizarre spectacles in her reign.
Rather than ‘not being amused’ or ‘not promoting the town’ or ‘showing Cumbrians up as not being a full shilling’, or even ‘bearing a look of surprise and disdain’, I rather fancy that Her Majesty was spectacularly intrigued at what she surely must have seen was an ancient custom of the Celts trying to frighten off their mortal enemies! I certainly don’t see a frown. More a question of ‘how does he do that?’
Suppose these ‘stuffed shirt’ specimens get off of their high horses and join in the fun. Egremont Crab Fair is a brilliant ancient tradition – and it is famous, bringing in tourists from various parts of the world. Who is ashamed of what?
S JORDAN
Hycemoor Way
Bootle Station

Care workers’ pay plight
SIR – We write to you to publicise the unfair pay problems of Cumbria Care assistants in Whitehaven.
We feel that all the residents of Cumbria need to know that the council has now spent £1 million progressing the appeal of the equal pay claim against us women workers.
Our trade union has been forced to respond to this. We all think that this money could be better spent on services for the people of Cumbria instead of rich lawyers and barristers from the other end of this country – they are the only people profiting from this pot of Cumbrian money.
It is time that the council paid up, we have now won a tribunal and an appeal and they have no defence for paying us such an unfair wage.

Care workers, Whitehaven
Remembering a husband’s fears
SIR – His Honour Judge Stevenson (Memory Lane, 100 Years Ago, June 5) was no farmer. Certainly each sheep is an individual, recognisable to its farmer or shepherd, as JB Bland (1908) and Jesus (St John’s Gospel, chapter 10, verses 3-6 and 15) well knew “I know my sheep and they know me”.
The other tale of Wasdale Head dead carried to Eskdale (in shroud rather than coffin, probably) has the shrewish wife revive when jolted at the bridge on the moor. When she really died, her husband said to the son, as the bridge drew near: “Go easy now. We don’t want what happened last time!”
Jeremy GODWIN
Drovers Lane, Penrith
Blog for Barney the goose
SIR – I would like to respond to the letter in last week’s paper (June 12) from Jeanette Wright and perhaps make people aware of the real problem with Barney the Goose disappearing.
Mrs Wright was right to report the goose attack, I would have done the same. The Harbour Commission were right to remove the goose from the harbour if it was aggressive. The welfare of the public must come first.
However the fact that Mr Thomson has changed the story regarding Barney’s whereabouts several times (two different versions were reported in this paper) and the delay in getting the promised vet’s examination and x-rays of the goose, still raises the question: are the Harbour Commission hiding something from us?
I have been assured that the goose is fit and well, I have been given the same photos as The Whitehaven News, but all they prove is that a gander and two geese are living happily somewhere. The only way for the Harbour Commission to prove that they have not destroyed Barney is to provide the x-rays they promised me two weeks ago.
Knoxwood is a reputable animal charity who have rescued a lot of birds on the harbour, not just Barney, If the Harbour Commission have nothing to hide why will they not give them answers.
I appreciate Mrs Wright (and I'm sure many others) would like to see an end to this, but until my questions are answered I will continue to write letters, protest and speak about this to anyone who will listen and may be able to help.
If you want to have your say on this please visit the blog detailing my search for Barney - www.myspace.com/ whereisbarney or send your comments direct to me at whereisbarney@live.com
Janette WYNNE
Brisco Mount
Egremont

False claims about directors
SIR – I was disturbed by some of the letters regarding the proposed extension of Johnson House.
As a past unpaid director of Abbeyfield Whitehaven Society, I believe I can throw some light on the situation. Johnson House is a charity run by an unpaid committee of directors who employ the staff. The only money ‘made’ by the rents goes to pay these employees and to pay the running costs of the establishment.
Like other businesses, any investments have to be funded, mostly by borrowing, incurring the resulting repayments. I can assure the residents of Hillcrest that there is no director with three or four houses funded by the organization, not like some of our esteemed leaders.
The only driving force is to provide a home for elderly people that is truly that, a home, and all the efforts of the directors are to fulfil that aim.
Perhaps it would help if the complainers contacted the residents and staff of Johnson House and find out exactly what are the facts before leaping to false assumptions.
In the five years I was involved, there were no children playing in the area, apart from the wood, which is not involved in the planned extension. It puzzles me that relatives of Hillcrest residents are living in the house. Perhaps a reporter should investigate the establishment before allowing false claims being made in the paper, albeit in the letters page.
Richard STOKER
Address supplied
Mixed messages from magistrates
SIR – I never cease to be surprised at the varying sentences for similar offences, handed down by local magistrates.
I realise that these officials are lay persons, who although having received some basic instruction in points of law, must rely on the clerk of the court for professional direction.
However, I was astounded to read in your paper that a female motorist who had, on three occasions, driven whilst disqualified was not sentenced to a term in gaol. Instead, the presiding magistrate told the defendant that she had been ‘very silly and very disobedient’. Her original driving ban was increased to 18 months and she was made the subject of a one-year supervision order.
What message does this send to people? Either that the magistrates and/or the clerks of the court may be incapable of enforcing the laws available to them, thereby showing a degree of incompetence; or that offences such as the one described are trivial and merit just a ‘slap on the wrist’.
Brian PARNABY
Ullock
Seeking an old friend
SIR – The recent article about Herman Veith and Hensingham Silk Mills reminded me of an incident of nearly 60 years ago. I lived on Bransty at the time, and my mum advertised for lodgers to occupy a spare room. Two German lads turned up at the door and asked to view the room. They were shortly to be employed at the Silk Mills. The younger lad was about 17 and the other lad slightly older. The younger one (Carl) was rather shy, but extremely pleasant, but the older one was loud and arrogant.
In the ‘parlour’ there were photographs of my two older brothers in their recent war uniforms (RAF and Royal Navy). As my mum showed them into this room, the older one turned the photographs to the wall. Inevitably the older one was not accepted, but the younger one boarded with us for about two years.
His name was Carl Eichler and we became great friends even though I was some years his junior. He taught me to count in German and I remember it still. Carl was also popular with all my friends, and in a small way managed to quell any anti-German feelings of this post-war period. He eventually married a girl from Bransty, and regrettably we lost contact. Where are you now Carl?
Leonard WATSON
2 Tudor Ave
Maidstone
Kent ME14 5HH
More bins mean less litter
SIR – A month ago I wrote to Copeland Borough Council to say:
“Some time ago I asked for a litter bin to be placed near St James’ Junior School. I was never given a reason why this could not happen. But I thought it would be a good idea as there is always litter round this area. Now to my dismay the bin which was at the bottom of Wheelbarrow Brow and was well used as it always appeared full, has been removed. If the aim is to make the Town and the areas round it tidy the council has to play its part by providing and emptying litter bins. Please could you replace this bin and if possible provide one on Wellington Row near the School.”

I have received no reply at all to it. The council is always telling us that the town should be kept clean and tidy, yet have removed this litter bin for no apparent reason. It isn’t as though this bin was never used, as it was always full. With my request for a litter bin to be placed near St James’ School, the area approaching Wellington Row/Hilton Terrace always has litter on the pavement and maybe a litter bin would at least alleviate the problem, but the council does not appear to be interested.
Peter DRUMMOND
Solway View, Whitehaven

In response, Copeland Council says it is doing a review of all bins and dog bins to make sure they are where most needed. It says bins cannot be put up in all locations because they can be an obstacle, particularly on narrow pavements. The county council does not allow Copeland to put them on lamp posts. The bin that has disappeared has not been taken away but possibly vandalised and will be returned, the council added.
Put a lid on it...
SIR – I am one person in favour of Sellafield being the local nuclear site for burying the waste. I am retired, but understand the need for jobs.
My late father was an ambulance driver at Drigg and then a staff driver at Sellafield, so our family had money for food etc and my father never once said there was any risk to him, or his work mates.
His cousin, Ted Hamilton, was a farmer at Yottenfews Farm, next door to Sellafield and didn’t ever plan to move off until he retired and sold the farm to BNFL. I believe it is now the Sellafield visitor centre.
Everyone working at Sellafield will be in favour and that of Cumbria also. It employs a lot of locals and where are the jobs if it closes?
Grace SLOAN
Lamplugh

SIR – If, as recently reported, Copeland Council might apply to the government for financial reward for the local disposal of nuclear waste, it is hoped the council will ensure the waste bin lids are tightly closed?
Eric WALKER
Junction Road
Northampton