Your letters - February 20

Pleased to be back

I AM writing in response to Sinclair Robieson's letter published on January 4, regarding Iceland's purchase of the former Woolworth's site in Bexhill.

Iceland was in Ravenside Retail Park for 16 years and traded well. It was never a question of us having to move due to under performance.

We were offered a closure package by the landlords which we were unable to refuse and since that time we have been looking for an opportunity to return to the area.

Iceland has seen significant sales growth for the last four years driven by new and existing customers.

Our offering of great quality frozen food at fantastic value for money, makes it easy for customers to budget and is especially relevant at this time of economic recession.

In addition, our free Home Delivery service provides an essential service for busy customers and has re-established Iceland as the destination shop for frozen foods on the High Street.

Thank you for your kind wishes. We hope to trade well in Bexhill-on-Sea and look forward to welcoming you to our new store.

Nick Canning

Marketing Director

Iceland

Sorry to be selfish!

MY reason for objecting to the Link Road is probably too selfish to be worthy of Frank Wood's consideration (Letters, February 13).

I am a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) but while concerned about the effect on Combe Haven and the SSSI, my objection is to the massive increase in noise and pollution which will occur at my property which adjoins the proposed route of the new road.

(A response other than 'possibly' to questions to East Sussex County Council like 'Will any sound insulation be provided?' would give some but not much reassurance).

As to the Link Road diverting traffic from the A259, the description of the scheme provided to those of us directly affected makes it quite clear that the first purpose is to provide a transport link for people living in the proposed new housing estates and for people working in the proposed new business park.

Paul Willison

Stevens Close

Link road plans

AFTER reading the public notice regarding the link road, that appeared in last week's Observer, we decided to go to the town hall to view the said plans.We live in Bancroft Road and will be affected by the road.

The public notice said we could view the plans at any reasonable time so we went Monday morning only to be told they did not have them as they had not been sent to them yet.

Objections have to be sent in by March 6. This does not give the public much time, but perhaps that is the idea!

J Pearce

Bancroft Road

Festive fund-raiser

THROUGH your newspaper, St Michael's Hospice would like to thank all the residents of Westfield who decorated their houses last Christmas.

We appreciate that an enormous amount of time and effort is spent on each house, giving pleasure to the thousands of people who visit Westfield to view and enjoy the fantastic array of Christmas lights.

We would also like to thank the brave souls who stood out in the street collecting in the cold, the wind and the rain, in particular Richard Millward, Ken Mundy and Maureen Flaherty.

Thank you also to Stuart Bellhouse, from A & S Digital Printing, for the splendid banner and to everyone who gave so generously.

The staggering total of 3,412.78 was collected, which will help enormously towards the running costs of St Michael's Hospice.

Jenny Tyrrell

Fund-raiser

Dog poo dodgems

HAS anyone else noticed that dog owners seem to be not cleaning up after their dogs anymore? Walking around Bexhill shops lately is like playing dodgems!

Dog poo everywhere - it's very unpleasant. Come on dog owners- clean up after your pet.

Stephanie Beale

(not a dog owner)

Ninfield Road

Link Road paper trail

LIKE many in the area remotely connected with the Link Road, we received compulsory land purchase communications over three days last week.

My husband and I both received an identical set of letters. All 16 contained the same two leaflets, then they either contained one or other of maps, leaflets, letters etc, the only difference being a Ref no and first paragraph on the letters.

The total cost of postage was more than 80, all had to be signed for and the poor postman told me that over 700 had gone out on one of the days.

A neighbouring farmer reckons he had in excess of 40, they came in a crate!

We made up a set each and this is what we have spare any ideas what to do with them. We have. All unprintable!!

Mrs Delia and John Weedon

Buckholt Lane Sidley

Call to action

CALLING all Observer correspondents. Everyone who has taken the trouble to write to the Editor over various issues has earned the title of a 'doer'.

Local 'doers' are needed to seize the opportunity which now presents itself in the formulation of the Central and Sackville Wards Local Action Plan - ie. a plan for the town centre.

It is perhaps our only opportunity to form an umbrella organisation to give a formal voice to all, to analyse the concerns for our town as expressed by all age groups, to attract new blood and to formally document the analysed results.

From this process the Local Action Plan will become the document which Rother District Council, East Sussex County Council, the Primary Care Trust and other authorities have to consider.

When Pebsham's Local Action Plan identified a need for the refurbishment of the area's playpark and recreation ground it was followed by the council's proposals to do just that.

The first stage of this process for Central and Sackville is a meeting for all arranged for Tuesday at 2.30pm-4pm and again 6pm-7.30pm at Parkhurst Hall, Parkhurst Road, Bexhill.

D J Tramaseur

Supporting the planned

Central & Sackville Local Action Group

Play park delight

I WOULD like to offer my congratulations in finally updating the Pebsham Play. The Play Park is very outdated, my children and foster children played on the spider many years ago.

My grandchildren are thrilled about the Zip Wire, they had great fun on the one we visited recently. The Zip Wire was not noisy, although we all laughed so much. All the other children in Bexhill have a safer and more modern play park and Pebsham kids deserve the same treatment.

Well done, we look forward to many adventures in the future. The children of Pebsham have over my 35 years here, achieved great things, they work hard at school and need some fun.

SANDY SCRIVENER

Top Cross Road

Doctor in a million

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with the letter written in by Selwyn Lippiatt in support of Dr Kinch. I have also been a patient of his for many years and have been through some very rough times. He has always been there for me, very kind and understanding. My thoughts and support are also with him and his family and wish them the very best of luck. For being such an excellent doctor and a doctor in a million is Dr Kinch.

Myra Wood

Watermill Lane

Positive response

I AM writing to praise Bexhill High School. On February 11, I wrote a letter to my son's form tutor in response to a questionnaire sent to all parents of Year 7 students.

My letter was polite, but critical to say the least. I received a response from the Assistant Principal the same day and an invitation to visit the school the following day!

I was afforded a generous amount of time with the Assistant Principal who fully addressed all of my comments and left me feeling greatly reassured.

His reassurances were supported by tour of the school during which I witnessed classrooms of smartly-dressed, well-behaved children working diligently.

This was an uplifting visit and I want to say thank you to the school and students for giving me such a positive experience.

M Rees-Jenkins

Holliers Hill

Christian love

MAY I thank David Knight for his excellent Just a Minute Christian Comment about Love. It can be difficult to get biblical ideas across in such brief pieces. The way I usually describe our Love as Christians is in four groups.

1) We are to love God - Father, Son & Holy Spirit.

2) We are to love our neighbours - all human beings.

3) We are to love all believers - the church is not a building or any denomination

4) We are to love those who hate us and pray for them.

As churches and individuals go out into the community each week with the gospel message, we want to lift burdens off people's shoulders and tell them that Jesus said on the cross, 'It is finished!' He took our troubles and set us free to live life to the max (fully).

PAUL MINTER

Gunters Lane

Impeding speech

CONTINUING the subject of dummies (last week's Observer), it is no wonder that children arrive in nursery schools with poor language and communication skills - they've probably had a dummy since being a baby and in the next two or three years, when they should be saying many new words, they are impeded by the dummy.

At least with a thumb-sucker, the child has to take the thumb from the mouth in order to play with toys and interact with playmates.

Pushchairs that face the parent should encourage conversation and interaction with the child - no need for a dummy. Are there any early years speech therapists reading this who would like to comment?

Doreen Mills

The Briary

Beach fun killjoys?

I READ last week's letter from John and Heather Morrey with interest and amusement.

Not being a dog owner myelf I find it laughable that anyone expects dog owners to take their dogs onto a beach and keep them quiet.

Beaches are one of the few places now children and dogs can have a true sense of freedom and really enjoy themselves. I would have thought anyone who purchases a house backing onto any public space would realise a certain amount of noise is to be expected at any time of the day or night.

I have never understood people who move to the country and object to cockerels crowing, or those who buy a cottage next to a church and object to the bells.

I would suggest the Morrey's sell up and move into a remote Sussex forest. However they would probably complain about the woodpeckers. Can I suggest earplugs?

Gillian Stone

Cooden Drive

Hard act to follow - Reflections on John Dowling's retirement

ON BEHALF of all the churches in Bexhill I would like to express my appreciation for all John Dowling has done at the Observer. In all my dealings with him over the years, as Chair of Churches Together, Rural Dean of Battle and Bexhill and the Vicar of St Stephen's, I have found him to be the consummate professional. He has always been able to balance the need of getting a good story with a real care about the people and events he has been covering and we will miss his contribution greatly. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement John. You will be hard act to follow!

The Rev David Frost

Vicar of St Stephen's Church Bexhill-on-Sea

Rural Dean of Battle and Bexhill

Chair of Churches Together in Bexhill

I AM sure many people will have spent this week considering just how to express their feelings about a man who has become an institution in Bexhill-0n-Sea.

I have known John Dowling most of my life, through all those years, John has enjoyed the respect of all who know him.

His interest in the written word has given the current and future generations an encyclopaedia of how changes in our society over 50 years have become part of our everyday lives in 2009.

It may have been important to you personally, or to an association or group, but we shall never ever replace the personal attention he gave to us as a community.

The press carries a huge responsibility to inform, defend liberty, to promote the good, and to expose the bad.

The integrity that John brought to this role helped those who needed support, who needed to feel valued and to hold to account those who chose public office.

I am sure he covered some harrowing stories that tested his mettle, but our John, in my opinion, should be very proud of the major part he has played in our community.

John's charity work goes very much unsung which is typical of the man, self-promotion has never been his style, Bexhill Talking Newspaper and the League of Friends of Bexhill Hospital are just two organisations that have received his invaluable support.

I have no doubt whatsoever that when the history books of the last 50 years in Bexhill are written, the man who has informed and influenced much of that history will be John (Mr Bexhill) Dowling.

Through your paper, as a friend and as a fellow citizen I would like to say a big thank you to John for all he has done in our community.

I would also like to thank Ann, his long-suffering wife, for allowing him to do his job, seven days a week at all hours of the day and night in such a professional way.

May I on behalf of the many readers of the Observer wish them both a long, healthy and happy retirement.

I am sure this is just a pause and we will still be enjoying his involvement in many areas of our lives for years to come.

Stuart Earl

Former Mayor of Bexhill

JOHN Dowling is appreciated and truly thanked by the Bexhill Talking Newspaper Association for his support over the years.

John became a part of the BTNA in 1977 when the charity was formed in February of that year by the Bexhill Lions.

For 32 years he has been a committee member able to contribute his great knowledge of the district and introductions to local people able to help the BTNA.

Additionally and, importantly, he has provided the weekly news material generously permitted to be read by the Bexhill Observer and that is prepared by John ready for reading every Friday.

It is a big thank you from all the helpers in the Bexhill Talking Newspaper Association and also from the hundreds of local blind and partially-sighted listeners who have enjoyed the weekly tapes.

Eric Gosden

Trustee

Bexhill Talking Newspaper Association

I KNOW a huge number of Bexhill Observer readers will want, like me, to thank John Dowling for being the Bexhill Observer over the last umpteen years: for his unfailing curiosity, his love and knowledge of Bexhill and its people, his compassionate writing, his dogged patience in sitting through countless council and other meetings, his willingness to help, and for his true and accurate reporting. May he enjoy many years of happy retirement with Ann and his family and friends.

Chris Cox

Arthur Road