Your Letters - September 21

First impression

I AM a new arrival to this very lovely town of Bexhill on Sea. Fourth week to be precise! There are such lovely terraces in the Old Town, a panoramic view from the De La Warr Pavilion, frequently changing as sea and sky does so. A number of good cafes and restaurants dotted throughout the town and stores, shops of all types for essentials.

Also, easy access to a very smart and friendly Ten Pin Bowling Centre for all ages and groups, with an indoor swimming pool adjacent. Much more than a great many towns in which I have lived or visited, abroad also.

However, why are there not more rubbish facilities, ie litter bins, such as in front of Somerfields, Woolworths, also dotted elsewhere along other commercial roads and streets.

The litter and slightly unclean appearance of these roads and streets cannot be pleasant for local residents nor be appealing to or for any tourists.

It is said, first impressions count.

VALDA B N WARREN

Church Street.

Glyne Gap

I REFER to your article regarding Glyne Gap roundabout in your July 20 edition. 25,000pa sounds outrageous.

1. Can a breakdown of costs be printed?

2. Why can't the bulbs that are dug up, from Egerton Park and seafront flower beds, be recycled and planted here? That would save one cost. It seems sacrilege and a huge waste of our council tax money to discard these bulbs/plants each season.

3. I feel sure that there are enough keen, good gardeners in Bexhill with a passion to keep this area looking good. A rota of volunteers could be arranged. I am willing.

MARCIA LINDEN

Martyns Way.

Poor value

WITH reference to the 500,000 + contribution being handed over to the De La Warr Pavilion trust by the council taxpayers of Rother.

I had some friends come down for the day on Wednesday who have long wanted to visit the pavilion and I saw it through the eyes of visitors. They loved the grand staircase with the suspended lights and all the curves and clean lines and took some beautiful photos, of the building and it's lovely outlook over the sea.

However they could not believe that our expensive jewel in the crown is little more than a white elephant to the inhabitants of the town.

Long gone are the shows that we used to enjoy and the exhibitions and antique and collectors fairs are no longer welcome there, but have been replaced by a semi pornographic arty collection which wasn't even open.

We didn't bother with a meal in the restaurant, have heard too many reports of poor value for money, but had a meal in one of the excellent eating places nearby.

My friend wished to buy a couple of souvenirs from the (expensive) shop and the two women running it could barely be bothered to serve her, I felt ashamed of them and my town.

No, I do not think the average local gets any return on the vast amount of money poured annually into the coffers of the De La Warr Pavilion.

Valerie Mitchell

St George's Road.

More shows

I FEEL that the Pavilion isn't being used properly for the people of Bexhill. Too many of the same things put on. I would like to see more variety, like other theatres in the area, like White Rock and Eastbourne, puts on. Why is it closed in the evenings?

There is too many modern art exhibitions on, and I mean modern: some are way out. This is Bexhill, not the Tate Modern. Let's have something of everything, Ken Dodd is not the liking of everyone but he sold place out.

So let us have local things as well, art for example. Perhaps the answer would be new people to run, run for us and not from London.

MICHAEL BANNISTER

Westville Road.

Bin progress

I WOULD like to congratulate Rother for the recycling service now in operation as I feel all they get is negative comments and it really isn't that bad. We are a family of five and our rubbish does not attract maggots, we never have to put bin bags next to the wheelie bin for collection as it always fits, our green and black boxes are always full, and the bin men are always on time and return our boxes/bins to our drive.

It sounds like we are either lucky with our service or those that have problems with over flowing bins maybe don't recycle, reuse or reduce their waste enough.

I do agree that collection of household rubbish every two weeks may be too long for some people especially those that prefer not to recycle their waste. If you are away on holiday, maybe a neighbour would put out your bins for you.

M RUSHBY

London Road.

Health concern

I HAVE heard nothing but complaints from the many people I know about the new system of rubbish collection and recycling in Rother since its implementation.

It has been causing so much inconvenience and it is also obviously a health concern - it is an absolute fiasco!

The writers of the three letters in the Bexhill Observer dated September 14 have expressed their frustrations and anger and I do sympathize with their predicaments although I live in a block of flats where wheelie bins have been deemed 'not suitable' and I have had to continue taking items to be recycled to the Sainsbury's recycling centre in its car park.

Now on to the Sainsbury's recycling centre: it has been in a disgraced state as it has not been emptied for two weeks. The site is strewn with carrier bags filled with plastics, cans, etc as the recycling bins have all been completely filled. I have had to take my bag home with me a few times.

Where cardboard is concerned, I have been taking them for recycling in Eastbourne as the one that existed in Little Common was always filled.

Perhaps Rother District Council should take some lessons from Eastbourne Borough Council as the latter offers so much better recycling facilities. In conclusion, what can I say but we are paying council taxes for the mediocre services provided by Rother when we should all have seen further improvements.

E. Fell

Buckhurst Court

Buckhurst Road.

The illusion

If I wanted to alienate people from recycling I couldn't think of a better way of doing it. What I'd like to say is that the old system works for us. We recycle over 40 per cent of our waste. The council say well, not everyone is like us. How strange can they be to think that the bin system will make people recycle if they don't do it now. It would have been far better to have thought of incentives to make the old system work, and also a lot less expensive. Caius Petonius had the same thoughts in A.D.65 :-

We trained hard but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up in teams we would have to be reorganised. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet all new situations by reorganising and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralisation.

DENNIS DAINES

Via email.

Fire menace

IN the early hours of Sunday morning, some idiotic person or persons thought that it would be amusing to set fire to the council litter bin on the pavement outside our shop.

Besides the obvious risk that this fire posed to property, even more frightening was the danger to all of the families who live above the parade of shops.

Thankfully, a potential tragedy was averted by the quick actions of the Bexhill fire brigade and for this I would like to pass on our very sincere thanks for a job extremely well done.

We are also very grateful to the unknown person who called the fire brigade and to the gentleman from East Sussex Highways who came out on a Sunday morning and cleared up most of the melted plastic and cordoned off the damaged tarmac in order to prevent any residents tripping over the jagged remains.

I only hope that those responsible for this mindless behaviour will some day stop and think and maybe realise what devastation their actions could have caused. As a point to note, at around the same time as our fire, there was another case of vandalism reported nearby where a new garden fence was badly damaged.

In this case a couple of youths were seen fleeing the scene and I can only assume that the two incidents may be related. Perhaps it is therefore pertinent to close with a question aimed at all of the parents in Bexhill: Do you know where your children were early Sunday Morning?

Jonathan and Sarah Armstrong

Windmill Drive Post Office and Store.

Busy town

YOU know an event has been successful when you keep hearing the comment "It's so busy, you cannot get to see everything, I've never seen so many people in Bexhill".

The market, held last weekend, had the town centre bursting at the seams. How good it was to see the centre of town so very busy with shoppers and visitors on both Saturday and Sunday. Lots of visitors were in town (we know that by the type of questions our marshals are asked, "where are the toilets, where are the parking meters, how long can I park, do you have a shop that sells XYZ, how often is this market, where do I get a bus back to Hastings, Eastbourne"). This is what we need, plenty of visitors to our town to help our town centre traders.

This market only takes place because of the goodwill of so many people and organisations, many, many thanks to the Bexhill 100 Motoring Club for providing such good, experienced marshals, many thanks to Rother District Council for help and assistance. A big thank you to Verdant for the street cleaning, morning and evening - what a marvellous job they did for the whole weekend. Grateful thanks to our local police for their help in getting a parked car towed away from our road closure area on Saturday morning and for the presence of the Community Support Officers over the weekend.

Thanks to Stagecoach for placing information notices on the bus stops and for providing a temporary bus stop on Marina - it was really helpful for passengers. Thank you to C-Side for providing the refreshments for the marshals.

Thank you to the traders and residents of Devonshire Road for parking your vehicles elsewhere and for generally putting up with the disruption this market can cause you.

Most of all, thank you to the residents of Bexhill, without your support this market would not be worthwhile, we asked you to "shop until you drop" - and thousands of you did - thank you.

SUE SPICE

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, Barnhorn Road.

Awards privilege

MAY I thank the people of Bexhill for the nominations and tremendous support given in the Bexhill Achievers Awards. I was not only delighted, but enormously honoured to collect two awards on behalf of the whole of St Mary's Wrestwood Children's Trust. Everyone at the Trust feels both humbled and privileged to have been honoured by the town in this way.

I would also like to congratulate all the other winners and runners up and thank the organisers for such a wonderfully memorable occasion.

DAVID CASSAR

Principal and Chief Executive Officer

St Mary's Wrestwood Children's Trust.

Blanket cover

THE Bexhill Caring Community, who organised the Electric Blanket Testing on September 10 and 11 together with a Health and Safety Promotion, would like to thank the following organisations who helped to make it a very successful event: East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, Bexhill, Rother and Hastings PCT, Homecall, Rother Lifeline, Rother District Council, Trading Standards, Library Service and The Pension Service.

We would also like to thank the following organisations who very generously gave donations towards the cost of this event: Bexhill Friends of the Elderly, Bexhill-on-Sea Lions Club, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, Rother Homes and Rotary Club of Bexhill. A further 157 was raised from the raffle, bring and buy, refreshments and donations made over the two days helping us to off-set the costs of this event.

A total of 105 blankets of all shapes and sizes were tested and of these 21 failed the safety standard. It proves that this is a vital service for the residents of Bexhill.

For residents who were not able to join us during the event please feel free to contact the office for information on the free supply and fit of smoke alarms, dial-a-ride or community car service as well as the many other services we offer.

Bexhill Caring Community is always looking for volunteers who could give assistance with the Housebound Library Service, Community Car Service, visiting or fund-raising. Please contact the office at 25 Sackville Road, Bexhill, tel. no. 215116 for further information.

MARGARET VON SPEYR

Manager

Bexhill Caring Community.

Dim view

MAY I respond to the letter from Stephen Hardy MBE (September 14) where he quotes the EU Presidency plans for a "mass switch off" for traditional light bulbs by the public in two years.

I would like to inform Mr Hardy that there will be no mass switch off in my household in two years or at any time in the foreseeable future.

The reasons are as follow, some scientists have reported that the so called "energy efficient bulbs" are not only less efficient but also cost more in the environmental issue stakes not just to manufacture but also to dispose of.

I am sure Mr Hardy can research this and confirm or deny and let us all know.

Secondly, I have just refurbished my home and have dimming lights, candle bulbs, high and low wattage security lighting, plus spot lights in at least three rooms and I am certainly not about to ditch these on a whim from the "go green" bandwagon.

To implement the continued quality and variety of lighting I have, I recently spent over 140 on stocking up my collection of "normal" light bulbs, in fact I have worked out that I can light my home effectively for the next 35 years, more than enough to save me ever buying another bulb.

Another reason I will not change my life to suit politicians is that they are not really in the least concerned with saving the planet (which has warmed and cooled for millions of years quite naturally) and particularly not this country, they are only out to con more money out of the population of already high tax payers and for what?

To fund even more immigration to the U.K. which is going to use up more water, land and land-fill and materials and road space, so you see, when the Government gets serious and I mean really serious about keeping the U.K. environment safe, so will I!

PAUL STEWART

Duke St.

Save anger

ENOUGH of whinging about twin bins and recycling. It's here to stay and is good for us all in the long run. Save your anger for those who produce all the wasted packaging making dual collections a must.

Enough of letters from politicians wanting to score points over their opponents. If you have something to say I'm sure the Editor would accommodate you by putting an official piece in the paper. Keep your campaigning and wittering out of our letters page.

Enough of Mr Minter and his religion. Religion is, I suspect, a private affair for most people, between an individual and their God and they do not want to read about him and his week in week out. Religion has been at the heart of so many conflicts throughout history that maybe we should opt for a world religion with one God and do away with all the rest. If tried it might just work and bring much wanted peace everywhere.

Enough of ... whoops got to stop this rant as the nurse is coming with my medication. Ah, that's better.

P.M.ADAMS

Hornbeam Avenue.

Wrong track

IN your editorial you correctly wrote,'currently Rother's bylaws prevent cyclists from using the promenade. The local authority has long been against the use of bikes there for safety reasons.'

The pedestrian traffic along the promenade in the West Cliff area is usually either non-existent or very light. To prohibit cycling 'for safety reasons' is bad law. May I commend the notice displayed along the Bournemouth and Poole promenades (where the pedestrian traffic is much heavier) 'Cyclists. Please dismount at busy times'; a more courteous and non-confrontational notice.

PETER MILES

Hornbeam Avenue.

Car culture

THANKS to incomer Peter Caunter for his observations about Bexhill's imploding car culture. An excess of cars, speeding, and verge and pavement cluttering hurts the quality of life for pedestrians, bicyclists, young and old, and anyone who breathes. In response to Peter Caunter's invitation I suggest that we drive less and more slowly, and that we ask police to enforce speed limits again. Let us cherish and care for our verges that helped make Bexhill fresh and leafy. Reduce car numbers and pavement at our homes. It's a disservice to youngsters to incite interest and acquisition of cars. We should be preparing them for the already beginning peak oil and climate warming food shortages. Finally, let's remove a slab, pavement or tile on our gardens and plant a tree. That way we let water infiltrate again, welcome wildlife and let soil and flora absorb CO2 and bless us with oxygen and freshness.

EDWARD P ECHLIN (Dr)

Thornbank Crescent.

Straw house

THERE appears to have been a complete breakdown between Gregory Barker and his own local party ("Barker at odds with Foster over maternity plans", September 14). On the one hand Mr Barker castigates Hastings Labour MP, Michael Foster - who has, unsurprisingly, flip-flopped over Option 5 - while on the other, Rother Conservatives have already rejected that Option (as have Hastings Conservatives).

As I have suggested in a previous letter ("Tory confusion", August 10), the Conservatives under David Cameron have constructed a house made of straw. Perhaps the only question now is when is Mr Barker going to come into one made of bricks?

STEPHEN JACKSON

Second Avenue.

Proper will

FOLLOWING the alarming report out today (September 12) from the National Consumer Council (NCC) which highlights that as many as 27 million people in England and Wales have not made a will, Help the Aged would like to take the opportunity to stress that by not making a will, not only is there a danger that your possessions will not be distributed according to your wishes, but there is also the worry that relatives will be left with months of hassle and uncertainty as well as the possibility of having to pay hefty legal costs. As the NCC report highlights, people should also be aware that co-habiting partners do not have any automatic rights.

But it is not just important to make a will, it is also essential to ensure that it is legally valid, which is why at Help the Aged we always recommend that wills should be drafted by a suitably qualified professional.

Help the Aged has also produced a free Will Information Pack for readers of retirement age, which offers a step-by-step guide through the will-making process.

For a free Will Information Pack, readers of retirement age can call Help the Aged on 020 7239 1965 or email [email protected].

CLAIRE ROUTLEY

Help the Aged Will Advice Service.

News blackout

AS your readers may be aware ITV has announced plans to change its regional news coverage and scrap its three editions of Meridian Tonight, replacing them with one programme covering an area from Southend in Essex to Weymouth in Dorset.

We believe this will provide viewers with a much poorer service, ending the dedicated, award winning, programme for Kent and Sussex.

We would ask any readers who share this view to express their opinion to their local MP and to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom. The regulator can be contacted by email at:- [email protected].

As part of the complement of media outlets in Sussex, like the Hastings Observer, we believe the public in our area currently receives a first class service but this is one which will be damaged if these plans go ahead.

Ofcom claims to place great weight on the opinions of the public it is meant to serve, and we believe that the views of your readers can help stop this proposal.

IAIN MCBRIDE

On behalf of staff at ITV Meridian

Maidstone.

Little boxes

WHERE the Grand Hotel was why not put another hotel? Don't build any more flats. Such nasty little boxes wherever you go, you can't avoid them. It would be a good idea if for once the Bexhill people were asked what they would like to see.

Sidley was a village where we had a local policeman and you could go out safely. Now we could have a policeman to help the locals live how they like and make it a nicer place to live but this means we must be able to have some say how changes are made.

Stop building on the fields, and no more little boxes.

K PYBUS

North Road.

Stroke services

OVER the last decade we have seen a transformation in many services for heart disease and cancer. National targets have been met and mortality rates have been dramatically reduced. Yet care and services for stroke have fallen drastically behind.

Despite being the UK's third biggest killer and a leading cause of severe adult disability, stroke services remain in a woeful state.

Failings in stroke service provision across the country mean that huge numbers of people are dying needlessly or becoming severely disabled following a stroke. However none of this is inevitable and with your help drastic improvements in stroke care could be made.

The Government has issued for consultation the National Stroke Strategy - a blueprint for stroke over the next 15 years which gives you the opportunity to have your say and inform this process.

The consultation process closes on October 12 so there is not much time. To find out how to voice your opinion contact The Stroke Association on 0207 566 1510.

On behalf of the Stroke Association, thank you for your help.

BOB HOLNESS

Where's Claudio

I AM trying to trace a colleague who used to work with me for British Caledonian/British Airways as a stewardess for a planned reunion. Her name is Claudia Roche, (nee Fusco) married to Michael and she has two boys.

She is originally from Brazil. My last known whereabouts of her were in the Bexhill area. Could she please get in touch with Susie Jackson on 07773867121 or by email: [email protected]

SUSIE JACKSON

Horley

Surrey.

Tokens really do help Children's Trust

I AM writing to you from St Mary's Wrestwood Children's Trust to thank all of the kind people who have responded to earlier appeals for donations of tokens and vouchers from local supermarkets, to let you know that we are currently collecting for two schemes and would really appreciate your help again.

St Mary's Special School and College cares for and educates up to 144 students with Special Educational Needs between the ages of seven and 19, sharing with their parents the responsibility of preparing them to become as independent as possible, ready to realise their full potential.

It is set up as a Children's Trust and the children at St Mary's receive therapy, nursing, care and education. St Mary's is a children's charity and as such receives no grants or donations from Local Government and only minimal funding from Central Government.

The Tesco "Sport for schools and clubs" scheme will be giving out vouchers in the shop until November 4, and we will be collecting them until the beginning of January 2008 for equipment from this session of the scheme but can still accept tokens to bank for the following session until the end of March 2008.

I would also like to make a 'last call' for any of the Tesco "computer equipment" scheme vouchers you still have. These could still be banked towards next year's application for equipment; but we would need to receive them as soon as possible, as they have to be "banked" by September 28 2007!

Thank you again for your help with these collections, every donation is such a help.

Our staff here at St Mary's, and the childrens' parents, always contribute lots of tokens and

vouchers, and together we have been able to gain valuable resources as a result.

As a small special school, no matter how hard we tried, without you we could never achieve such brilliant totals!

If you would like to donate any tokens or vouchers they can be posted to us at

St Mary's Wrestwood Children's Trust

Wrestwood Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex TN4O 2LU

Alternatively you can bring them to the office.

Thank you in advance for your continuing help, which is very much appreciated.

I will write again after the various collections finish to let you know about the resources your kindness has enabled us to gain.

RUTH O'KEEFFE

Administration, St Mary's Wrestwood Children's Trust.

Quick fix

FOR a quick resolution to all the problems associated with the lack of cycling facilities here in Bexhill, abolish district councillors' and county councillors' car allowances and substitute cycle allowances.

Quod erat demonstrandum.

DEREK DULY

Newlands Avenue.

Dead rats

SINCE our household rubbish has been collected fortnightly, our two cats have been presenting us with at least two dead rats a week. Coincidence?

GILLIAN A DULY

Newlands Avenue.

Confused

Re: Confused tree (Letters, September 14)

ONE of my apple trees is also confused with apples and flowers together.

R F ADAMS

De La Warr Road.