| Your Letters |
There are plenty of swans in Marlow
Sir, — I was in Marlow on Monday last week and came across this eyrar of swans being fed by the public. There were in excess of 40 birds.
I think it shows there are still swans on the river, if not in Henley. Maybe the Henley wizard has turned all the swans into those annoying A-boards that blight our narrow pavements. — Yours faithfully,
Tony Taylor, Knappe Close, Henley
Dysfunctional leadership
Sir, — During the last few weeks I have stated that the present Henley Town Council is dysfunctional, although it still has eight months of its life left.
It shows many signs of woolly, inconsistent thinking and it lacks fundamental leadership in many areas.
While one would expect some infighting between Henley Residents’ Group and the Conservatives on all issues, one could also expect that the best results would be achieved for the town.
This is not the case as the conglomerate of disparate-valued HRG politicians slug it out with the politically mischievous and opportunistic Tories.
I can only conclude that our town of lions is being led by political donkeys.
A faction of HRG councillors and breakaway Tories has sought to overturn well-considered positions on the Mill Meadows toilets and parking at Northfield End.
The town council has recommended flip-flopping positions to Oxfordshire County Council on the parking issue that can only do harm in the long run and impede the future of Rupert House School.
The council implements a confused position on the town’s conservation area, which allows developers and entrepreneurs to apply structural changes with apparent impunity, while a group of councillors is now threatening the agreed Market Place Mews development, which is sorely needed.
At the first sign of grapeshot from a few disagreeing residents, the council did a full-scale retreat on A-boards and the Mill Lane car park. On the issues of the car park and toilets, the council denies itself the opportunity to increase essential revenue at a time of prudence across the nation.
Spurious arguments are made for compromise through, for example, self-regulation on A-boards instead of having the courage of our convictions and showing leadership.
In many cases, the net result is an illogical position that satisfies nobody — this was particularly evident on the issues of the toilets and the Northfield End parking.
Many of the above are wonderful examples of “a horse designed by committee turns out to be a camel”.
I would ask that the residents of Henley-on-Thames wake up to this dysfunctional council and demand that for the next eight months the politicians serve the town with a greater purpose, clarity and leadership.
Yes, it is indeed time for a change. — Yours faithfully,
Councillor Barry G Wood (Independent), Henley Town Council
Respect for the fallen
Sir, — I write in support of your correspondent Steve Goddard regarding the altered position of the memorial to “Fred” Slough at Sonning Common village hall (Standard, August 20).
His letter was all the more poignant given that just two days prior to my own visit to Sonning Common I was standing with my husband and sons at the First World War memorials and battle sites of the Somme in northern France.
Each grave and memorial is carefully tended, bearing witness to the horrors of war and demonstrating the deep respect due to those who fell.
The contemporary Help For Heroes campaign aims to raise awareness of the difficult work undertaken by our troops and to support families who have lost those they care for in combat.
So why is Fred’s memorial being hidden away from public view? The younger generation needs to know that Fred sacrificed his life for his country and also appreciate that conflicts do not only impact on places far away but also on smaller communities where memorials are about real people. — Yours faithfully,
Sue Jackson (née Port), Haydon Bridge, Northumberland
Protection from vandals
Sir, — Some clarification is needed following the article about the repositioning of the plaque in memory of Pte Frederick Francis Slough at Sonning Common village hall.
The decision to move the main door a few feet forward to make it flush with the outside walls was taken by the village hall management committee, not the parish council, as part of a programme of refurbishment.
It is unfortunate that this has resulted in the plaque being less visible. However, it does mean that it is safer and better protected inside the hall. It had been vandalised twice, which is why it is covered in Perspex. — Yours faithfully,
Pat Hughes, Chairman, Sonning Common Parish Council
Happy to move plaque
Sir, — I was very saddened by the headline concerning the “row” over the moving of the front doors at Sonning Common village hall that resulted in the memorial plaque to Private Francis Frederick Slough, the young soldier who died in the Falklands War, being enclosed within the building.
Sympathy with Steve Goddard’s feelings is appropriate but what a pity that he was not given the opportunity of hearing the full explanation of the decision to close in the porch. At that time, the hall was experiencing sporadic vandalism, generally by a group of youngsters who gathered in the porch.
On two occasions door panels were kicked in and graffiti was regularly sprayed around. Copious amounts of litter were left.
It was my initial suggestion that the porch be enclosed — with the approval of the management committee. The parish council, which is always very supportive of our efforts in running the hall, agreed to pay for the work.
We felt that this would discourage the “gatherings”, which has proved to be the case. Nobody in the village has commented on the change other than to approve.
I am sure that the parish council would have no objection to fixing the plaque on an outside wall but I feel that Pte Slough’s family should be consulted first. It is good to report that the current generation of youngsters in the village appears to be much more responsible. — Yours faithfully,
Jill Vallis, Chairman, Sonning Common village hall management committee
Proud of my generation
Sir, — On the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, I was exhilarated to read the reported description by a 21-year-old pilot officer of his encounter with the approaching German Luftwaffe and in particular of his exclamation.
He described how he scanned the sky and the horizon for the first glimpse of the Germans and witnessed the cloud of light as the sun caught the glistening chromium parts of their engines and windshields and the spin of their airscrew discs.
As they hurtled nearer, he could see the bright yellow noses of the Messerschmitt fighters sandwiching the bombers. He said the sky seemed full of them, packed in layers thousands of feet deep. They came on steadily, wavering up and down along the horizon. “Oh golly,” he thought “Golly, golly...”
His exclamation brought a smile to my face as I thought of the possible reaction of many of today’s generation “Aw, sh..!” or “F…...g hell!”
I am indeed pleased to belong to that earlier generation. — Yours faithfully,
Victor Miller, Ancastle Green, Henley
Destructive development
Sir, — Mercifully, in Henley it is not often that planning applications bring to mind the destruction of Maidenhead that took place in the Seventies and Eighties.There are older residents of Henley who remember old Maidenhead before its redevelopment, when it still had charm.
Now the built environment of Maidenhead only shows the firestorm of unbridled greed, appalling architectural design, redevelopment-fixated officers, uncaring councillors and gross overdevelopment that destroyed it.
Unfortunately, the proposed Market Place Mews development attempts something similar in Henley. I object to the application on the following grounds:
lThe lack of any sustainability within the design, especially its energy efficiency.
lDamage to the setting, character and appearance of the central Henley conservation area and in particular its 800-year-old burgage plots.
lThe very poor quality of the design, its ugly aesthetic, its canyon public circulation areas and the sunless “square”.
lNo provision whatsoever for affordable housing within the 14 units.
lThe awful arrangements for lorry movements and waste recycling.
lThe building on gardens.
lThe loss of 46 private car parking spaces with no alternatives provided. — Yours faithfully,
David Smewing, St Mark’s Road, Henley
Still time to comment
Sir, — There is still time to send comments to South Oxfordshire District Council about the Market Place Mews development in Henley (application no. P10/E1127 EX). The due date is not August 18, as the consultation letter said, but September 3. Apparently, it was a computer-generated letter and the poor old computer got it wrong.
So if you have concerns or comments, please send them to: M Moore, South Oxfordshire District Council, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8NJ and/or to Councillor P Slatter, chairwoman of planning. — Yours faithfully,
Ruth Gibson, Vicarage Road, Henley
House will be out of place
Sir, — I am not happy about the construction of the two-storey house at the end of the terrace in Leaver Road, Henley (Standard, August 13). I live a few doors away and think the house will look completely out of place. It will also cause chaos over parking, which is already bad.
I do hope the rear walkway behind the other properties will not be taken as this is the only way I can get out with my children in the pushchair.
I also feel disgusted that none of the other residents has been given a say on this and cannot appeal against the decision to approve the planning application. I did not see a planning notice in the area. — Yours faithfully,
Kirsty Wooldridge, Leaver Road, Henley
We’ve been here before
Sir, — In reply to Jim Hammant (Standard, August 20), Sonning Common residents were fully consulted by reason of a special event put on by the developers, fully explaining the development.
Mr Hammant has lived in the area for only four years but I have been here for nearly 60. I was here before there were any estates. When these were put up there was exactly the same hue and cry.
Then there were 10 shops (only five now), no car park and no health centre to start with but the village coped and adapted. At one point there were more than 600 pupils at the primary school.
There are very few real “locals” left in the area and even fewer of their descendants — I knew most of them.
The parking problem in the village is partly caused by people not walking and not using the car park as well as irresponsible positioning of vehicles.
Somerfield is to be extended and why should shops close, Mr Hammant? They will have increased business.
The Reades Lane garage site needs to remain “business” to allow for further development to fit the future needs and the viability of thevillage. — Yours faithfully,
Ted Platt, Essex Way, Sonning Common
Village was consulted
Sir, — Your correspondent Jim Hammant says it would be interesting to know how many “locals” were involved in the discussions about the proposed Lea Meadow development (Standard, August 20).
I would like to confirm that the consultants acting for the landowner have had dialogue for nearly two years with Sonning Common Parish Council and have attended several meetings, by mutual agreement with the council, to seek the parish’s opinions and thoughts so that aspects could be incorporated within the proposals.
We also held and advertised an exhibition and open evening in the village hall on October 20 last year where anyone from the community was able to inspect the proposals and make comments. More than 150 residents attended, including parish and district councillors.
Much feedback was gained and incorporated into the scheme, prior to the formal planning application being submitted. — Yours faithfully,
Stewart Lilly, Property consultant, Harwe
Still fighting irrelevant war
Sir, — Robert Warner’s view of noise pollution supposedly threatened by the new site for Garsington Opera anticipated at Wormsley (Standard, August 20) is plainly deeply felt.
However, a quick glance at a map suggests that Aston, where he lives, might be more likely to be threatened by the noise of 30,000 fans at the Madejski Stadium than the unamplified voices of a few singers based in an acoustic pavilion not just on the other side of the river but far into the hills (with ready access to a motorway so that even traffic noise is easily controlled).
The truth is that neither provides the remotest threat. John Madejski has found the right site and so has Garsington at Wormsley.
Sadly, Mr Warner betrays, at least to this reader, a few signs of old wars still being fought despite the fact that they have long since ceased to be of any relevance.
Readers might like to be reminded of a South Oxfordshire District Council report of December 2005 which stated: “There is a long history of complaints about noise from the opera which have not been proven.”
It might be thought that with the closure of the opera at Garsington people could move on to celebrate the fact that a site has been found which could not possibly involve less intrusion into the lives of those who feel unable to welcome the pleasure that it gave to so many and the contribution it makes to musical life, above all in offering opportunities to young singers at a crucial stage in their careers. — Yours faithfully,
Christopher McCall, Ferry Lane, Moulsford
I will keep campaigning
Sir, — Your announcement of the death of the campaign for a 20mph speed limit in Watlington is greatly exaggerated (Standard, August 13).
All there has been so far is a skirmish that has once again established who our opponents are and where our friends can be found.
Junction 6 of the M40 is a motorway rarity, one where access is by a B road. Feeding traffic to the M40 via the B4009 without any consideration being given to the impact upon Watlington was always going to cause problems.
When the M40 was in the planning stage a hard battle was fought and won and a begrudged concession wrested from the highways department of Oxfordshire County Council. A ban was put in place prohibiting heavy goods vehicles from passing through Watlington.
Now once again the county council is relentlessly refusing to give any proper thought to the effect of its policies upon the people who live in a once quiet town.
The width of the B4009 in Watlington where Shirburn Road meets Couching Street is 3.5m and at this point the pavement is less than 1m wide — and the traffic flow is relentless.
In many places in town the pavements are less than 1m wide. With kerbstones only 2cm high and unlikely to damage tyres, the incentive for motorists to park on, or drive along, the pavements is obvious. An occasional inspection by the highways department would be welcome. A road sign at the top end of Chapel Street advising that the road is “unsuitable for large vehicles” was obscured by graffiti more than 10 years ago and the matching sign at the other end of the road disappeared even earlier.
In the same street a sign advising drivers that oncoming traffic has right of way is coyly placed halfway round the bend so that it cannot be seen.
Never mind, the sight of articulated lorries jammed in the road provides entertainment for local people and many houses proudly bear the scars of the resulting collisions.
Money has been lavished upon Henley. A small fraction of the cost of improving Bell Street would have cured many of the problems that beset Watlington.
Funds were also made available to install 20mph signs in Henley market square yet there was no talk then of waiting to assess the effectiveness of the reduced speed limits in Cowley and Oxford.
You can be assured that the campaign for a lower speed limit will be continued. — Yours faithfully,
Donald Campbell, Chapel Street, Watlington
Centralised banking
Sir, — Customers of Nat West (the “helpful” bank) might like to know that if they write a letter addressed to the manager of the Henley branch it will not end up on the manager’s desk but will be bundled up with other mail and sent off to a “customer care centre” elsewhere.
In order for your letter to be perused by the great man himself you have to either address it to him by name or write “for the personal attention of the manager” on the envelope. Of course the bank doesn’t think to tell you this.
Customers who call the Henley branch on the phone number listed in the current telephone directory expecting to speak to a member of staff there will also be disappointed.
The call will be routed to a “customer care centre” that could be anywhere — when I rang I spoke to someone in Plymouth. So much for “helpful” banking. — Yours faithfully,
Mrs June Green, Baskerville Lane, Lower Shiplake
Can’t call local police...
Sir, — Recently I noticed an abandoned bicycle in the coppice where I take my dog for a walk. As it had been there over a week, I decided to let the local police know. The only number available is for a switchboard in Abingdon.
The woman who answered said I should take the bicycle to my local police station. As I only have a small car, it is not practical for me to do that so the bicycle remains where I found it. What a pity we are not able to phone our local police any more. — Yours faithfully,
Adrian Vanheems, Knappe Close, Henley
...but you can drop by
Sir, — I would like to say thank you to the person who handed my camera into Henley police station several weeks ago. Although it is not really valuable, it was given to me by the family. — Yours faithfully,
LL Leaver, Harpsden Road, Henley
Immigration made Britain
Sir, — I was a little concerned by Howard Thomas’s comments about immigration (Standard, August 20). I have long held the belief that what makes Britain great is a long history of immigrants coming here.
We are a mongrel race and this gives us our mongrel strengths. Whether it was the Romans, Saxons, Vikings, Huguenots, Celts, Normans, even north American Indians, Africans, Asians, South Americans, or those trading with the Cornubians (Cornish) 5,000 years ago, immigrants have come to this country from all over the world and made it what it is.
This small, geographically insignificant, damp, weather-obsessed island off the western coast of Europe is a major world player. We punch far above our weight and even the places that hate us respect our fortitude. We have developed a unique form of government, a monarchy run by commoners. We are probably the most tolerant country in the world. We understand the strengths and weaknesses of others. We are not perfect. We are, after all, still just humans and humans have fallibilities.
Being a melting pot of the world’s “go-getters” (as all immigrants are, having girded their loins and set out for a new life of promise) has created this fine country. We are all immigrants or of immigrant stock without exception.
I also have to question Mr Thomas’s assertion that immigrants keep wages down. Immigrants certainly keep prices down. We exploit their willingness to put up with anything to live here by paying them wages that no “British” person seems willing to work for.
They know that Britain is a good place to live and are prepared to work hard to be able to be here and enjoy that. They want to contribute to our society and be a part of it. On the whole.
I completely disagree with immigrants coming here and not joining in. As my ancestors were welcomed as farmers and ironmakers, their cousins who just came to rape and steal weren’t so welcome.
Immigrants who work and stay here also pay taxes. They contribute to local economies and keep down the prices of food and taxes.
Mr Thomas also claims that immigrants have caused the price of accommodation to soar. Absolute and utter tripe. According to official figures, there are more than one million empty houses in the UK. Prices are not inflated by a lack of available properties, they are inflated because people have forgotten that houses should be homes, not investments. Greedy landlords and homeowners (and, of course, estate agents) are responsible for the house prices, not immigrants.
Common Sense Party, Mr Thomas? It doesn’t seem to have much common sense to me. Mind you, they do say common sense isn’t very common! — Yours faithfully,
Simon Brickhill, Goring Heath
Kelly death whitewash
Sir, — An intelligent man and an expert on all kinds of ways to die apparently goes for a walk in the countryside armed with a blunt knife and some painkillers with the intention of taking his own life.
He cuts into a minor artery in his wrist and apparently bleeds to death from a wound that would not be capable of losing more than half a litre of blood.
But he manages to wipe the fingerprints from the knife before dying while sitting up against a tree. This is an absurd scenario that quite clearly did not happen in this manner.
The couple who discovered Dr David Kelly said he was sitting up and yet by the time the paramedics arrived his body was lying flat. They reported very little blood at the scene.
There has been no inquest and Lord Hutton’s “whitewash” inquiry found that he took his own life.
But what finally confirms the “dodgy” tag to this case is the fact that Lord Hutton decided to lock up the papers for 70 years, so all the people involved will be dead by the time the public are allowed to know the truth. Our new “transparent” Government must open these files and let the truth be known.
I don’t really “do” conspiracies, but if Dr Kelly killed himself in this manner then I’ll eat my dog. — Yours faithfully,
Howard Thomas, Common Sense Party, Cardiff Road, Reading
What’s a bit of scaffold?
Sir, — I write to express amazement that some locals are complaining about scaffolding for a few weeks to ensure that Whitchurch toll bridge can continue to operate (Standard, August 20).
If this bothers them, I hate to think what they will say when the bridge is closed for complete refurbishment next year. — Yours faithfully,
Tony Holmes
Be kinder to older people
Sir, — Question: What constitutes elderly? Answer: Nearing or surpassing the average lifespan of humans.
The average lifespan of the average adult in the UK in 2010 is 80 years. Why then must you add to the sensationalism of 71-year-old Gillian Klugman’s death (Standard, July 30) by calling her an elderly woman?
It is insulting to a woman or man’s memory, and those who are left behind, when they are still vital, taxpaying and, more often, hard- working, intelligent citizens, parents and grandparents.
I am 63 years old and just beginning a PhD. I am neither elderly nor a pensioner, as your paper would like to portray anyone over the age of 60. I am beginning another exciting phase of life where I can take all my experience and wisdom to another level.
Perhaps next time you could say, “A vital woman of 71 unfortunately died before her time….” and you would sell just as many, if not more, copies for being a modern, forward-thinking paper. — Yours faithfully,
Name supplied
My tailgate is missing
Sir, — I take disabled and elderly people on holidays.
A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a disabled man to take him to Devon for a week, taking along his electric buggy.
Having loaded the buggy on to my small trailer and securing it, I had to remove the small tailgate. I placed the tailgate against the fence and then drove out without it.
On returning from the holiday, I found the tailgate had gone. If anybody knows of its whereabouts, please return it as I cannot afford another trailer. — Yours faithfully,
Mick Yeo, Vicarage Road, Henley
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