BRITAIN A SOFT TOUCH
I read with disgust about this so-called
cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed and what he has
received in benefits - living allowance, tax
credit, family credit, etc. No wonder people are
drawn to this country, yet why do they still
vilify it?
We took him in and gave him and his family
everything, yet still he preaches death and
destruction. If people do not like us, why, in
Heaven's name, do they come and settle here? Why
not go to a like-minded country? Harald
Wright
(Think you've answered your own question
there Mr Wright) |
WELL
DONE!
At long last Uttoxeter Road between the
City Hospital island and the A5111 ring road
traffic lights has been resurfaced, it only took
three years. It was well worth the disruption and
I presume they have finished as the lines have
been repainted and the cones removed.
For too long we had an abysmal surface with
cracks and potholes that developed within weeks
of the last refurbishment. In fact, we have
become so used to manoeuvring around the
obstacles it's nice to be able to keep the wheel
straight.
Or so I thought. Cleverly, lest we forget the
potholes, the contractors have lowered the
gratings by a few millimetres thus an instant
pothole to be avoided. Well done! Or are they to
revisit in a few weeks for a spot of remedial
patching up? S Bradley |
IN
THE NAME OF PROGRESS
I do not understand why work on the
inner ringroad has to be done at the same time
as: the bus station work which will take two
years; the Eagle Centre extension which will take
four years and I've just read about major sewer
work in London Road and the Derbyshire Royal
Infirmary which will take over a year! I think
the council has some questions to answer, and
yes, I do think trade in Derby will be affected.
We have already lost loads of shops.
With parking meters, pedestrianisation, the
one-way system and over-priced parking charges
and now all the works, it will be quicker to get
on the M1 and go to Meadowhall and park for free.
I feel sorry for the traders in Derby, I bet
loads more will shut due to lost trade. It makes
me really angry, it's all supposed to be in the
name of progress, but when do we get our city
back to enjoy it without any problems? Tracey
Burzynski |
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PUBLIC OPINION
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TOUGH
ON CRIME?
I can remember a time when a murder was national
news, such was the infrequency of these crimes. I can
even remember that carrying an elderly person's shopping
gained you admiration and kudos with your friends. As a
seven-year-old growing up on a new council estate, all I
can remember are the neat well-kept gardens that everyone
seemed to take pride in, or being out from dawn till dusk
in the school holidays and the only worries my parents
had was if I would tear my clothes.
Of course, there were crimes against children and
pensioners but these were the exception rather than the
rule. I have read or watched reports on nine different
murders, including children, muggings of pensioners and
people being attacked in their homes. I cannot put my
finger on when this country changed from the carefree
society that I fondly remember growing up in, to the
shambles that we all share now, but I put the blame
firmly at the feet of lily-livered politicians, preaching
political correctness at every opportunity.
Give me a political party that promises the return of
corporal punishment in schools, capital punishment for
child killers, police killers, and the birch for muggers
and vandals, etc. and I will give you a starting point
for making this country a decent place in which to live
again. Votes from the silent majority will surely follow.
Tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime? Surely
you're having a laugh, Tony? But, sadly, the majority of
people in our country don't see the funny side. Phil
Arlott
WHAT
TO EXPECT
I have recently moved to Lyttleton Street, not
by choice, I am a council tenant. I would not have been
bothered had I viewed the area first, nothing wrong with
the people, houses or suchlike. But I am terrified of the
Transcycle lorries. I dare not let my children out. They
come around the bend and sometimes have to brake so hard
that the lorries judder. It is frightening, as is the
noise they make. This is what the people of Spondon can
expect. The council planning surely has a lot to answer
for.
There is a small industrial estate at the top of
Lyttleton Street. Why was the firm not sited there,
straight off the ring road? I wish the group leader from
Spondon would spend a day down here with a video camera.
The old incinerator is not used, what is wrong with that
site? I urge the people of Spondon to stand up for their
rights to live in safety with no stress from noise and
pollution. Now bring your cameras here and show your
community what to expect. Sarah Hurd
WHAT
FUTURE?
The terms "moving forward",
"modernisation" and "change" are
frequently used in discussions about the future of Derby.
At a recent exhibition for the Quad building, I overheard
a lady say that Derby people don't like change, a comment
I found offensive. As a native Derbeian, I have witnessed
many changes to my home town, including the destruction
of some of our most important buildings and historic
sites.
The first of these that I remember was Duckworth Square.
We were told that "this is a modern shopping centre
that will set the standard for the future of shopping in
Derby". Yet just over 40 years later we now have a
hole in the ground, some future! The next development I
remember was the Main Centre, held up as yet another
example of the future of shopping in Derby, but this
failed to last even as many years as Duckworth Square.
Then we had the Eagle Centre with its market. The market
was hailed as an architectural gem. Unfortunately, it
resembled the inside of a beehive, where even the
stallholders frequently got lost. After only a few years
the market was demolished and rebuilt to a much more
people-friendly design. Derby is a city of elegant
curves, easy on the eye, and with lots of character, the
Royal Hotel and the Victoria Street/Strand junction both
show this style.
Later buildings of Derby's Art Deco period, like the bus
station and the former Derbyshire Building Society at the
Market Place, followed this traditional Derby style. Now
we have a new extension of the Eagle Centre, which will
be the first view of Derby's city centre for the many
visitors who enter via London Road. Although this is a
modern building it follows the traditional Derby style
with its elegant curved exterior.
Following the demolition of Charles Aslin's bus station
we will be faced with "Riverlights". It would
be more appropriately named "River Blights". It
will reach the dizzy height of 14 stories, and surpass
the ugliness of the Cockpit car park. I think this
project is another Duckworth Square or honeycombed
market, but on a much larger and more expensive scale,
and I predict that in 20 years the people of Derby will
be crying out for its demolition. Christopher
Harris
NOTTINGHAM
IS STILL FAVOURABLE TO DERBY
At last we have something to get excited about
with the extension to the Eagle Centre going ahead.
However, let us not get carried away. It was claimed by
one city councillor that this would put us on a level
playing field with Nottingham. This may be true to a
point, but only where we are talking about shops. What
about all the other assets that put Nottingham on the
map? The range of hotels in the city, the racecourse,
Trent Bridge, and the superb tennis centre which is
starting to attract some of the top names in the game.
Most of all, what about the choice of venue offered to
the leading groups and other stars from the world of
entertainment. One only has to look at the national press
at the weekend, where all these events are advertised, to
see that Nottingham features prominently, being included
in the tours of all the top artists. Whilst the Derby
Playhouse is wonderful, we have nothing to compare with
the facilities offered in Nottingham. Please don't
mention the Assembly Rooms, it is a dreadful place.
I have, in the past, attended a number of concerts etc
held there, but I stopped going some time ago. The
atmosphere is non-existent, being more like a work's
canteen being given over to the Christmas concert. Over
the years, Nottingham, as a city, has been presented and
promoted much better than Derby, although more recently I
think the East Midlands Development Agency has been
biased in favour of Nottingham.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if Derby City Council went ahead
with the redevelopment of the Green Lane area, something
which they proposed fairly recently. This could include
the purchase of the old Hippodrome and the restoration of
it to its former glory. Now that would put us on the road
to catching up with Nottingham. I am proud to be a
Derbian, but lets not kid ourselves, Derby has some way
to go yet to be favourably compared with Nottingham. Mr
G Eaglesfield
WHAT
ABOUT THE MAJORITY?
It is time that the British started making one
rule apply to all and stopped backing down to minority
groups. The Sikh population are allowed to ignore our
laws by not wear crash helmets, while Sikh police are
allowed to wear turbans instead of helmets. Yet Sikhs
attacked a Birmingham theatre when they did not like a
play which criticised their culture. Travellers are
allowed to stay wherever they want to, leave a disgusting
mess for the taxpayer to clear up and then move on. They
build camps on green belt land and without planning
permission, they pay no taxes, while using the facilities
and services that the majority pay their taxes to fund.
We now have the relatives of the Brazilian, Jean Charles
de Menezes, who was shot by police in London, being
brought to England at our expense, demanding the sacking
of the head of the Met and severely criticising the whole
of our police force. We should be asking why they, as
Brazilians who clearly care about justice, are not
insisting that their own police stop the murders of
hundreds of "street kids" in Brazil. The French
Government, after one bomb went off at a station, took
immediate action against Muslims. They ignored the civil
rights protests and got rid of potential troublemakers.
French authorities put the safety of the majority of
their country before the rights of a minority.
The French Government have sent a firm message to anyone
considering trouble. It is time for Britain to ignore the
rantings of so-called civil rights activists and put our
country first. We must insist that our politicians stop
appeasing minorities, who see it as a weakness, and that
they make the views and safety of the majority a
priority. If France, Spain, Italy and Holland can ignore
the European Court of Justice, then so can Britain, or we
will continue to be seen as a soft touch. There should be
no more asking how we can help minority groups. David
Gorman
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