Had to check

WHEN I read the article about DIY traffic wardens in last week’s Mercury, I had to check the top of the page to make sure it wasn’t April 1.

It really does show us the standard of councillors we have in North Somerset when two of them come up with the hair brained idea that sending motorists letters telling them that they have been naughty will actually stop them from committing parking offences again in the future.

When will they learn that the only deterrent to the shocking state of parking in this town is a fine. Hit them where it hurts, in the pocket.

While I’ve got my pen out, where does Councillor Ap Rees come up with the idea that we would need about 30 traffic wardens for North Somerset? I reckon that’s more than the number of uniformed police officers on duty in the same area at any given time.

A couple of wardens and a van to randomly travel around the area hitting the hot spots should be enough to adjust the attitudes of people who think they can park where they want.

GERALD BOARD

The Cornfields, Wick St Lawrence

An arena

I DID give this council and our MP John Penrose an idea for an arena on the airport so we could have all year round big venues for all ages but what did they say? “Oh it will cost too much to build.”

Now I ask you readers what do you want houses or an arena to hold everything from rock concerts to shows? If that is the case then why don’t you get up and speak?

What has this town got now? Just the Grand Pier and when they get rid of Dolphin Square even our town centre will be gone.

There is going to be a 112-bed hotel built where the old Dolphin Square car park was. What for when there are hotels closing down because of no business? But you listen to John Penrose and council leader Nigel Ashton as well as Cllr Elfan Ap Rees this town is booming. I would like to know where? But put an arena on the airport and it will boom and it will give people of all ages somewhere to go all year round.

So why don’t readers give the council their views or get rid of them as they are killing this town of ours.

R G EYERS

Byron Road, Bournville

Cheerful

EVERY week I never cease to be amazed at how these recycling, green waste and household waste men in Weston stay so cheerful, diligent and hard working.

I’m sure there must be times when they don’t want to be cheerful, diligent and hard working but I personally have never seen this.

Many thanks to you all - the services you provide are very much appreciated and I know a lot of my neighbours think the same.

MRS PAT WILSON

Underhill Drive, Uphill

New promenade

I AGREE with the letter in your paper last week from Brian Ruse about the mess on our nice new promenade.

Workmen put up huts on our new prom then left for days, came back, put up a few fences, then left again and here we are waiting for the work to be finished.

We watched our new promenade being done and the contractors just got on with it. They never put huts on the new seafront. They put all their huts and machinery in the Melrose car park

Let’s hope they will get on with the job soon.

E GARLAND

Bristol Road, Weston

Gratitude

FOR many years I have possessed a large plastic box which has many uses in and around the garden. About this time of year I fill it with windfall apples, put in a supply of pvc food bags so passers by have the use of a carrier and attach a clearly printed card which says: “windfalls, please help yourself”.

A few days ago some miserable individual helped themselves, in broad daylight, not only to all the apples but to the box as well. That is gratitude for you. How low can you get? It is not the monetary value of the box which irks me, but the thieving so and so who obviously took the message rather too literally.

I refrain from expressing my real thoughts.

RICHARD BIRTILL

Bleadon Hill, Weston

Larger picture

I HAVE read a number of Mr Tinay’s letters in recent months and while he clearly has points to make and concerns to raise, the greater concerns and larger picture should be addressed.

The investment in the South Ward includes four estates - the Bournville, Oldmixon, Potteries and Coronation. All of the estates have benefited in one way or another. As Mr Tinay was a board member of the Neighbourhood Management Board, at least for a while, he was fully aware and indeed had an equal input in how levels of funding were spent and, in some cases, wasted.

Having personal knowledge of the workings of the Neighbourhood Management Board, it was very unsettling to see how so many of the projects, from parks to noticeboards, were lavishly funded, never completed on time and even now, a short time after the NMB no longer exists, seeing the deterioration on the projects, with the lack of maintenance contracts and follow-up maintenance on what are meant to be lasting improvements.

NIGEL LINDORES

Grasmere Drive, Weston

Hovercraft

MY LETTER in this week’s Mercury regarding a hovercraft in Weston may seem a bit far-fetched, but look how difficult it is to get from Wales to Weston, even on a good day.

The recent news that The Tropicana may be completely demolished led me to think that there is the perfect site for a hovercraft terminal. Its walls would act as a noise shield and the view from the seafront would be virtually the same. Remove the seaward wall and build a ramp and that’s it.

The cost would be less than demolition and we would still have The Tropicana in an up-to-date mode.

D LAWRENCE

Methwyn Close, Weston

Big mistake

I HAD to attend a funeral at the Parish Church of St John’s and, knowing that parking is difficult, I decided to go by bus - big mistake.

The distance from my home in Clarence Park is only two miles but I still gave myself 45 minutes to make the journey, which should have been more than enough time. I waited nearly half an hour for the No 7 bus - bearing in mind they run every 10 minutes - and then we were held up for nearly 10 minutes on the seafront by Pier Square. Needless to say I arrived five minutes late when I could have walked the distance in less than half an hour.

I know I am not the only one who has trouble with the No 7 bus, the letters page has been full of similar stories, and we all know that sometimes two or even three buses form a convoy. It is, of course, very frustrating and I do understand that the drivers have problems when they are held up by traffic, recycling wagons, and badly parked cars.

With only 10 minutes between buses it is so easy for the one behind to catch up and then how do you separate them? Maybe it would be an idea to let some of the buses from each direction terminate in the town centre, after all, most passengers from both Worle and Oldmixon alight in the town. At least it would save the buses from forming a convoy for the whole of the route, which seems to be happening nowadays - just a thought.

GEOFF MALHAM

Clarence Grove Road, Weston

No truer report

ON BEHALF of my family I refer to your report last week headlined ‘Hospital success in cancer care’. No truer report has ever been written.

While we will always be exceptionally grateful to Dr Charles Westcott at the Wellsway Chiropractice in Bath, who initially suggested that my wife Jenny referred herself to her GP, from Thursday and Friday of last week, the speed of service afforded by Dr Jagne at the Cedars surgery in New Bristol Road and, subsequently, the attention given at Weston hospital and then at Bristol Haematology and Oncology centre can only be described as fantastic.

It has been a tremendous shock that Jenny, who was healthy up to two weeks before, has been diagnosed with leukaemia. But thanks to the excellent work of everyone she has been given every chance of reaching remission.

TIM PENWELL

Mead Vale, Worle

Best possible

JUST a line to address the often negative comments regarding Weston General Hospital.

My wife was admitted and received nothing but the best possible treatment during and after her operation.

The level of professionalism and care was second to none.

A special mention has to go to the nurses on Cheddar ward who, although extremely busy, ensured my wife was taken care of.

Let’s give praise where praise is due.

JIM HORN

Milton Park Road, Weston

I AM writing to thank everyone in the town, both locals and visitors for the support given to the Weston RNLI during our Lifeboat Week.

This is the first time in living memory that the Weston branch of the RNLI has attempted to host a complete Lifeboat Week.

Although all the figures are not yet in it would appear that we will have raised more than �10,000 all of which will go to the Weston RNLI station.

As you know all our crew and fundraisers are volunteers and it means so much to us to know that we have such support.

We hope that everyone who took part has enjoyed participating this year and they will be able to support us again next year as we are planning to make this an annual event.

The RNLI is a registered charity which saves lives at sea. It provides, on call, a 24 hour lifeboat search and rescue service to 100 nautical miles from the coast of the UK. There are 235 lifeboat stations around the coast, Weston being one of them. Last year Weston was the busiest lifeboat station in the Bristol Channel; we were called out 47 times and rescued 27 people.

Once again my personal thanks to everyone for their invaluable support.

PETER ELMONT

Chairman Weston RNLI Fundraising Committee

Stanhope Road, Weston

I WRITE with regard to the new safety railings which are now starting to be put up on the seafront.

When I first read about this in the Weston Mercury I, like many others, felt it was completely unnecessary and a waste of money and why was it, after so many years of people managing to walk along the promenade without falling over the wall onto the sands, that we had to have this change.

Councillor Elfan Ap Rees explained that the council’s insurance company had refused to give the authority cover unless it was done. So fair enough, all is explained.

But I imagined the railings would be similar to the type which were put up overlooking Knightstone Harbour. They aren’t. Instead we have a barrier which is completely free standing from the wall itself and is very elaborate. Indeed they are very pleasant to look at but, unfortunately, it is now not possible for anyone to even perch on the wall itself.

The new railings look very expensive. Why was it not possible to have used the same ones as those at Knightstone?

As for The Tropicana, it looks as if North Somerset Council will in the end have its way and get a seaside town without a swimming pool.

Has anybody from the Weston Town Council or North Somerset Council checked to see if it’s still possible to get a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund?

I know that in 2009 the Government called for local councils to support local swimming pools, and Stephen Johnson, of the Heritage Fund, said: “The Lottery fund could help or even pay to build a pool, but once it’s built it has to be run and maintained by the council out of admission charges.”

We have a building already, but it needs refurbishing.

In the past I have referred to the London Lido, a pool refurbished and now open with a heated swimming facility. It cost �3.5million and it is under �3.80 to swim there. All I know is Weston should be able to have a pool.

LAURENCE F ORME

Shrubbery Avenue, Weston