All voters should have say on stadium

Published 1 January 2009

DURING the past 12 months, the main topic of conversation has been the proposed super stadium.I WAS interested to read the article about former stammerer Mark Murphy, who helps people with speech difficulties (Times & Star, December 19). I AM trying to trace a gentleman who was recently in the Derwent Bookshop in Workington and bought a copy of the book on the former Moota POW Camp. THE LOCAL British National Party election team would like to thank the people of Copeland for their support throughout the recent election campaign, and special thanks to the 418 people who cast their vote for the BNP candidate, Simon Nicholson. HAS anyone thought that God might have sent us angels to save our world in the guise of three Roman Catholic clergymen from Northern Ireland, who are heading for stardom and sing like divine messengers?YOUR anonymous correspondent of December 24 is quite right, Cockermouth Market Place has been improved, as would any street with £1.2 million thrown at it!

Ode to a great hotel

Published 23 December 2008

WESTLAND Gone West . . .THIS is a Christmas message to the energy company bosses who refuse to lower their prices and to the bankers who continue to show nothing but contempt and continued greed to their customers.I WRITE with reference to the regenerated Market Place in Cockermouth. A lot of opinion has been shed on the area, with some positive and some negative opinions. JUST what is going on at Cockermouth Co-op Post Office?MUSLIMS recently retraced the steps of the prophet Mohammet. Two million white-robed pilgrims walked the road to Mecca to seek forgiveness. Numerically, the annual Hajj is unparalleled by any other religion.IT WAS with sadness that I read your report about the death of Dennis Martin (Times & Star, December 12).

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Published 11 December 2008

Stadium is too small for the price

Published 11 December 2008

BEING born in Workington, I have followed this saga with interest.IF prizes were handed out to local authorities for holding consultations then Allerdale would win by a country mile.

Building society must show customers its loyalty

Published 11 December 2008

RE. the article “Local mortgage rate cut” (Times & Star, November 28), as an investor as well as a borrower of the Cumberland Building Society, I am pleased to note that both are being considered in the recent interest rate cut of 1.5 per cent and the reduction of 1.1 per cent being passed on to mortgage customers.KEVIN Swinney’s rant (letters, November 21) lays bare his selfish belief that motorists should not be expected to contribute properly to the costs of the privilege of using roads.I’M sure I’m not the only person who thinks that my local councillors Martin and Janice Wood should resign after the trial (Times & Star, December 5). For the judge to dismiss his version and that of his wife (the other councillor for my area) says it all.WHILE I feel the intentions of the RSPCA are admirable, giving vouchers towards the cost of neutering (“Credit crunch puts family pets at risk”, Times & Star, November 28), I feel they are not tackling the root cause of the problem which is the availability of animals for sale.HERE IS my poem, “Miner’s Boy”, which I wrote after reading about the history of the mining families in the north.LAST week's Times & Star carried a photograph of myself and a group of people who received cheques from me at a recent presentation. IF it wasn’t for the government investing taxpayers’ money into some of the banks, they would have gone under by now.THERE are now 19 separate wind farm opposition groups in Cumbria and North Lancashire, each fighting their own corner. I AM very happy that the people of Workington will have a referendum about the proposals for spending the money received from Tesco.

Reds are top of the league for community spirit

Published 4 December 2008

I WOULD like to share a very profound and moving experience my wife, son and I had at Borough Park.I DO hope none of the shining ones who dwell in Allerdale House noticed an absence of letters about their appalling plans for shared management with Carlisle council and drew the false conclusion that this silence denoted consent.MONDAY, November 24, 2008. It is 3.30pm. The Chancellor rises to give his Pre-Budget Report.NOT long ago the political consensus was that the major problem facing the world was climate change. Over the last few months the threat of recession caused by the credit crunch has taken over and relegated the problem of global warming from immediate concern. I AM writing on behalf of Cockermouth Civic Trust regarding correspondence on the subject of bus shelters in Cockermouth. WE READ and hear a lot in the national media about the public’s lack of support for our armed service personnel. I am pleased to say this certainly is not the case in Workington.

Come along and help save our maritime museum

Published 27 November 2008

THANKS to Viv Paterson’s vigilant reporting (Times & Star, November 21) over 20 people turned up at 11.15am on Monday concerned at Allerdale council’s proposal to close Maryport Maritime Museum and store the contents in Workington.THE recent talk of the shops in Maryport, Whitehaven and Workington in bygone years prompted me to wonder was the pharmacy in Maryport the one run by Mr Briggs?THE Ellenborough Village Group recently staged a Family Tree Exhibition in the old school, now the Dales, and raised over £400 for charities.LAST Saturday I was enjoying my daily commute to work, travelling along the coast road from Allonby to Maryport. It was a beautiful, still, chilly morning and the views of Criffel and the hills of Galloway looked stunning in the crystal clear early morning light.DIANNE Standen is right (letters, November 21). Cockermouth Main Street needs bus shelters if the town values quality of life for its residents and visitors. It does not need a third bridge. IT WAS wrong for Councillor Elaine Woodburn of Copeland council to suggest that the new hospital should be built at Whitehaven (Times & Star, November 21).THE “People’s Friend” sent me a free copy of their magazine dated December 6-13, 2008, because a photograph of me, aged 15, is to be published in that issue.THIS photograph (above) was found in our store on October 20. We have had the photograph since then in the hope that someone would come forward and claim it, but as yet we have had no enquiries.I ENJOYED Viv Paterson’s Talk of the Times (Times & Star, November 21).I AM completing a book on football in Cumbria, and would like to thank everyone who has contacted me and supplied photographs and team line-ups.ANOTHER crazy planning decision by Allerdale council to add to the Great Clifton debacle.YOUR article on grab carts (Times & Star, November 7) brought to mind when I was a young boy at Maryport in the 50s and early 60s.I CANNOT understand the nit-picking and moaning regarding Cockermouth’s All Saints Rooms.

A humbling experience for runners to be helped by Cockermouth

Published 30 October 2008

I WANTED to say an enormous thank you to all the people in Cockermouth and nearby who helped all the fell runners on Saturday night.

No public debate about stadium

Published 30 October 2008

I FELT I needed to write in order to express my concern about the absence of a public debate on the proposed new sports stadium for Allerdale.

Treasured experience of Great Cumbrian Run

Published 30 October 2008

IT’S BEEN over a week now - and my body still feels a little stiff here and there - but I will always treasure the experience of taking part in the Great Cumbrian Run for the first time.

Heed the warnings of financial collapse

Published 30 October 2008

THESE days it is a very small world. This has been all too well demonstrated by the sudden near collapse internationally of the banking system.

Puzzled over police parking priorities

Published 30 October 2008

I WAS interested to read an article in the Whitehaven News about the crackdown by the police and council on illegal parking.

Fury over log cabin plans

Published 30 October 2008

THE great majority of the residents of Great Clifton are in favour of the building of new low cost housing in the village.

Be more tolerant about street theatre

Published 10 October 2008

WHAT a spoilsport the mayor and a few shopkeepers are becoming about street theatre in Keswick.

Get those yapping dogs debarked

Published 10 October 2008

I WOULD like to present the owners of persistent yapping dogs with an award, YDOA (Yapping Dog Owners Award).

Super stadium is a super idea

Published 10 October 2008

ALL three sports together would have been a good thing in a Workington super stadium.

Heartless council needs to rethink parking attitude

Published 10 October 2008

ARE you proud to live in Workington? Well, after reading this you may not have the same feelings about your Allerdale Borough Council.

Mamma Mia's embarrassment factor

Published 10 October 2008

THE RETENTION and success of Mamma Mia! for three months at Dunmail Park’s Plaza Cinema has by all accounts been gender divisive with an estimated average male attendance as low at 15 per cent, due to what can only be described as an acute embarrassment syndrome.