Your Letters - February 29

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Criminal damage

RE: THE arson attack on two recycling bins, Wainwright Road, as reported in your paper, Friday last.

Apart from the bins being destroyed, the container for glass bottles etc was a source of great entertainment for the yobs involved.

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The broken glass was smashed over a wide area (days later there is still evidence of this).

We residents, who live nearby, remember only too well, the vast destruction when the wheelie bins were set on fire in Wainwright car parklast April. The Scouts' hut was burnt down, also. As nobody seems to have been punished for this event (although an alleged culprit was arrested) it does mean there is no deterrent for 'copy cat' attacks taken place.

While on the subject of criminal damage, I do hope not one penny will be spent on Egerton Park improvements, until security there is enforced.

Only this morning (Saturday, February 23) on my early morning dog walk, I saw that a large plant had been smashed through a window of a building in the park. (A camera on the building, said to "Smile" as a picture was taken). No doubt it wasn't working, but even if it was, our 'shy' yobs like to wear hoods and scarves over their faces (they are so fashion conscious).

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So there it is ... it goes on and on ... regardless of the consequences.

JOYCE HUMPHREY

Reginald Road

Community need

I WAS very fortunate last week, as your reporter was photographing yet another vacant shop premises in Bexhill town centre, to see Don Pellett (probably the best manager this town's football club will ever have known)sitting on a bench watching the world go by, and no doubt reminiscing about days gone by in this once community town.

I couldn't help thinking back to my childhood and a typical Saturday, firstly the week's shop was undertaken and us poor children had to participate as fathers were more than often than not working. to catch a bus carrying our shopping bags (not plastic carriers). Firstly the greengrocer, there were seven to choose from. Potatoes were weighed out and tipped into your bag and would you believe with dirt on as well then all sorts of veg was chosen (no plastic bags either!) together with apples oranges (satsumas were a real treat) and soft fruits that were in season,try getting a bunch of grapes without getting stung by a wasp!

If I was lucky the kind greengrocer would give me an apple for being so helpful.

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The butcher was next for the Sunday joint and Tuesdays sausages Mondays was always cold meat with bubble and squeek and dripping (God forbid) once again the kind shopkeeper would throw in a bone for the dog .

The baker, fishmonger, confectioner, hardware would all receive a visit weekly and the most annoying part of this as a child the continual stops my mother and people made to talk to each other!

I can remember now starting to feel frantic as we had to return home have lunch and then get to the big game at the Polegrove standing amongst several hundred others cheering on Don's green-shirted champions only to be interrupted at half time by one of Bill Wootton's famous hotdogs.

Moral to this story as I watched Ravenside creaking at the bones last weekend: surely for our tradespeople to survive we need to create a community again that means people coming into town not only to visit their bank and buying a lottery ticket.

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My recent visit to Hampshire and subsequent discussions with shopkeepers confirms that as a town you have to stand out so how about a weekly market ?

Dare I suggest an English one ?

Would Rother supply free parking so we can not only talk to each other, but also gain a little exercise.

Paul Hammond

Bexhill

Those potholes

I AM just writing to agree with your report regarding the potholes on Ninfield Road. The same thing happened to me on the evening of January 15 which resulted in a flat tyre which was not repairable. Your paper on January 18 reported other cars experiencing the same problem, which led me to contact the council and claim for a new tyre and tracking.

I will say that the Highways Department at Sidley have been helpful with their communication although they are unable to give me a timescale on when or if I will get any money back because it is still in the hands of the council's insurance department. I wonder how may people have experienced damage to their cars who have not contacted the council?

M EAST

Warnham Gardens

System failure

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ON Friday last, I put out my relevant wheelie bin and boxes for collection by the refuse collectors. My recycling bin was not collected as the box was marked "container contaminated."

Exactly what those words mean I am not sure but my dictionary considers contamination to be, inter alia, exposure to radioactivity. I sent an e-mail to the Chief Executive of Rother District Council who informed me that a Verdants' customer liaison officer would contact me. I have this afternoon learned that I can put plastic bottles, marked 1, 2 and 3 in my recycling box, but not their tops. I can also empty aerosol containers in the box, but, again not their tops. About a dozen other items were also rejected, not being the right sort of plastic. This refuse collection arrangement is the most stupid, stupid system that I have ever heard of. I have written to our MP sending copies of my correspondence to him to ask if he has any power (doubtful) to stop this mad-cap scheme.

Why should the residents of Bexhill be required to read the minds of the petty bureaucrats who have imposed this system on us, without our consent, as to what is or what is not acceptable for recycling. The sooner we return to a system of the council collecting all our refuse as before, the better - then, they can decide what is and what is not acceptable.

RON SKIPWORTH

Old Manor Close

Empty bins

YOUR correspondent Rob Schifreen (Observer, February 15) is quite right about the dangers of empty wheelie bins.

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I was badly bruised a few weeks ago by a wheelie bin that was blown over by a strong gust of wind in Dorset Road South. Had there not been a car parked by the kerb I would have been knocked into the road and suffered far more serious injuries.

The force of the impact was incredible.

J. GOFF (Mrs)

Bedford Avenue

Disgusting verges

WE could soon be awarded the prize as the dog mess capital of the south east.

The pavements the grass verges and the Sidley Community Centre are absolutely disgusting. Why do some people seem to think they are exempt from cleaning up after their dogs?

The walkway on the beach is also full of it. The dog mess bins in Sidley also need renewing as they are falling apart. I frequently have to close the door to the one on Ninfield Road it is in such bad condition.

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Perhaps if the council were to fine one or two offenders the situation might change. But then on the other hand the notices that they originally put up in the community centre were only five foot high so they lasted a very short time.

The other thing that happened was that on one side of the Green it stated that the fine was 500 and on the other side it stated that the fine was.1,000.

Confused? We will be as ever by our local council.

M.Hudson

Watermill Lane

Faith finance

EVER since you published a letter from A. Bromley four weeks ago, there has been a succession of letters shouting down anybody who questions the unfairness of school admissions policies in Bexhill.

One letter writer openly made a virtue of this.

Most of the others have sought to justify a system that is quasi-selective. Rightly or wrongly, there is no 11+ system in this county, and indeed the Assisted Places scheme for private schools was also abolished some years ago.

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This leaves voluntary-aided church schools in the luxurious but anomalous position of being able to select pupils yet still be funded by the taxpayer.

For every pound the Roman Catholic Church contributes towards the running of its school, the taxpayer contributes nearly nine.

In the past an argument could be made for Catholic schools on the grounds of disadvantage, but this is hardly the case now, with many pupils coming from above-average income backgrounds out-of-town, yet still receiving a generous transport subsidy from the public purse.

No doubt, an eminent retired headteacher or former governor will respond to this letter telling us what wonderful value for money it all is, but the bottom line is that if the Catholic church or any other religious community wants to run selective private schools, then they should be privately funded.

Richard Madge

College Road

Fading fad

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CLLR. BRIAN Gadd is mistaken (Town Council, February 22). The days of gigantism are fading fast. With the effects of the converging crises of climate change and oil and gas depletion already being felt, big is no longer beautiful - if it ever was.

Over the next 20 years we are going to see profound changes to our way of life and how we organise ourselves.

No; the way ahead is sustainability not shopping mall councils and a parallel government of unelected quangos and other bodies. Even the Tory leader - and Cllr Gadd's boss - David Cameron seems to recognise that! And just one more thing: the Liberal Democrats will abolish council tax.

STEPHEN JACKSON

Second Avenue

Cancer cash

LITTLE Common and Bexhill Group of Cancer Research UK held their annual meeting at Little Common Community Centre on February 14.

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This year we have raised and sent to head office 26,364. A fantastic year again. We would like to thank all who have supported the group at our coffee mornings, jumble sales, luncheons, quiz nights, cream teas etc without you this could not be achieved.

We also would like to thank public houses, shops etc for displaying our collecting boxes, this plays a large part in our fund raising.

D W BOORMAN

Cooden & Little Common Group of Friends

Cancer Research UK

Roadside help

I WOULD like to thank the very kind gentleman who picked me up and took me to the doctor, at the mini roundabout in Sidley on Friday, February 15, at about 3pm. It was most heart-warming to know we can still depend on some people for help.

Thank you for your help.

D SCOTCHER

Hastings Road

News round

I SHOULD like to say Joyce has done an extra special job in delivering all those newspapers with her shopping trolley.

JACKIE LUCK

Eversley Road

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