Your letters - January 23

We welcome your letters - email them to [email protected] include your name and address if your letter is for publication.

Seafront vandalism

AS I walked down Sackville Road the other day, I was struck by what another vicious wound had been inflicted on the already terminally-ill Bexhill sea front.

Two more buildings to add to the many abominations like Marina Court and other post war functionalist designs shoe-horned into the original Edwardian concept.

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Why have those responsible over the years as guardians of Bexhill's most important asset, its sea front, behaved with such dedicated vandalism?

This vandalism, executed with great arrogance and unjustified indignation, is still in full flight today.

In the seven years I have lived in Bexhill there has been a permanent stream of schemes and proposals nominally aimed at regeneration, but requiring ever more movement away from the original Edwardian sea front concept.

The two latest buildings one finished and almost totally un-let and the other unlikely to suffer a different fate, in today's climate, add considerably to the already large and growing pool of un-let commercial property in the town.

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Nevertheless, the latest scheme by the current mob in the town hall calls for yet more commercial space to be developed, yes, on the seafront of course.

As an added 'benefit' there is a proposal to further vandalise the design of the seafront shelters and the areas surrounding the De la Warr Pavilion.

It is of course a truism that we get the politicians we deserve, but does Bexhill today and did it always deserve such a continuous stream of 'one-trick pony' politicians, of all political persuasions, dedicated to vandalising the most outstanding feature of the town that we have entrusted to their care?

One might, if of a conspiracy theory mindset, wonder whether there is not and has not been for many years a plot to ruin the best part of Bexhill for mischievous or perhaps other more sinister reasons?

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I think it worthwhile pointing out to the current vandals entrusted with the care of our town that if they see it as acceptable to behave with careless abandon in their pursuit of its ruination, they can hardly be surprised when the youth and indeed other members of the local population as well as visitors behave with such carelessness and vandalism towards the environment around them.

If we don't bother to care for Bexhill and its beauties the town hall mob will ensure there's nothing left for us to value.

Neil Chalmers

Marina Court Avenue

Violence survey

I AM writing to you on behalf of the East Sussex Federation of Women's Institutes which is asking all women in the county to fill in a short online survey about their knowledge and experience of violence.

This survey is part of a new research project by the National Federation of WIs (NFWI) and Bristol University, and is the first national study into the extent of violence against women in rural areas as well as the support services available for victims and survivors.

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The survey results will be published this spring and used to put pressure on the government to consider the female victims of violence in more remote areas when they consult on a new strategy into violence against women.

This survey is open to all women across Britain until February 14 and can be completed anonymously at: www.thewi.org.uk/nomoreviolence

Violence is not just confined to women in poverty or on the fringes of society and not enough is known about violence against women in rural communities. The NFWI is part of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, and we need to show these women that they are not alone.

Vicky Booth

East Sussex Federation Secretary

WI Headquarters

Falcon Way, Hailsham BN27 1HY

Heartless thieves

THANK you so much to the person who broke into our garage and stole our food from the small freezer there.

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We are elderly pensioners and in these hard times do not have a lot of spare cash so I hope you really needed the food more than we did.

One month's pension equalled one month's food with a couple of extras over from Christmas.

We, like everyone else these days are feeling the pinch and to have to find another month's food at this time is not easy.

Also, it has left us feeling unsafe in our own home and peace of mind is something money cannot buy.

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As I said at the start, I do hope you needed it more than we did but I doubt it.

NAME SUPPLIED

Ridgewood Gardens

Iceland questions

NEWS that Iceland plans to take over the Woolworth's store in Bexhill has left me with two very raised eyebrows. On the face of it, this is a weird commercial decision.

As the Observer reports, Iceland had a store at Ravenside but it closed down some time ago.

Why? After all, it was a prime site and was surrounded by unlimited parking - something required these days for a store of this type.

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If Iceland couldn't make a go of it in the favourable conditions of Ravenside, how on earth does it expect to thrive in the middle of Devonshire Road where access is difficult and parking is, to say the very least, minimal?

Indeed, the Observer reports in the same issue about the crackdown on illegal parking in Bexhill. Anyone doing that to shop at Iceland is liable to find it an expensive exercise.

I wish Iceland well; after all, the departure of Woolies has left Devonshire Road looking like a row of teeth with the middle ones missing.

But I cannot see how it hopes to make a profit in these surroundings, especially in what looks like being the worst economic recession anyone can recall.

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Perhaps Iceland might explain (a) why it flopped at Ravenside, and (b) why it thinks that won't happen again.

Sinclair Robieson

Marina, Bexhill

Thanks to the Ladies

WE would like to express grateful thanks to the Ladies Supper Club for raising 175 for the Cinnamon Trust at the platter supper following the candlelit carol service in December.

HAZEL AND CLIVE ELRICK

on behalf of the Cinnamon Trust

Where are the toilets?

RE: Egerton Park...Did the upgrade scheme include toilets? Now that the building works to the rear of the museum have been completed, I have noticed that the toilets that were there have not reappeared. Upon looking at the map in the latest guide to Bexhill the toilet sign is non-existent at Egerton Park. So one was never planned. Where on earth is this facilitiy for the children's play area, the boating lake, the tennis, putting and general play areas? Perhaps a sponsored Portaloo would give visitors to Bexhill-on-Sea a super impression if we cannot provide a toilet for them from council resources.

K.G BECKETT

Glyne Drive

Constructive idea

READING in your recent editions of the shortfall in funding for the Egerton Park improvements and the letters objecting to the seemingly unpopular 'Next Wave' Boulevard Development, I have a constructive suggestion for Rother District Council.

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Cancel the Boulevard Project and allocate the 300,000 saving towards the Egerton Park Project. I am sure this common sense decision would be welcomed by the majority of our local residents.

DENNIS WEBB

Cooden Sea Road

Bexhill.

Come on Gregory...

AM I missing something? Gregory Barker insists he is shadow minister to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC, in Westminster speak).

Yet here he is promoting another road with its feeders and emissions that drive global heating. And that so called regeneration in green fields and habitats to the north. Do not those fields now stabilise climate? Will not covering them with houses, factories, shops, businesses, schools, carparks etc be positive (i.e. augmenting) feedback increasing global heating?

And as the late Humphrey Smith asked, where's the water supposed to come from? And what about the already overstressed Conquest Hospital?

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I appreciate Gregory's work for us as constituency MP. But this 'all things to all folks' should stop. Either be a genuine Shadow forcing DECC to act now and at Copenhagen in December to decimate CO2e-- or cut bait. Perhaps Gregory, you'd do better shadowing for 4x4s or BAA and the 'Grow Heathrow' climate bashers.

Dr EDWARD P. ECHLIN

Thornbank Crescent

Scaling down is pity

I WAS sorry to see on the front page of the Observer that the Egerton Park improvement scheme is going to be scaled down due to lack of funds.

This is a well-used area, by all ages of residents and visitors alike, and is of great benefit to the town.

I would have thought that the way out of this would be to put the destruction of our seafront on hold, or at least scale it back, to enable some more money to be spent on Egerton Park.

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The majority of the ideas for the seafront are an absolute waste of money - i.e. taking away a large area of the putting green to put in place a "boulevard," when in fact a concrete pathway would suffice, and not be so invasive. Also, why replace the wooden seats with horrible steel ones? And the designs for the replacement shelters are so ugly. The list is endless, and they certainly won't enhance the area.

Why waste money on plans which very few people are in favour of, when other areas are in dire need of funds for improvement?

MRS PAT CLEMENTS

West Parade

Shock of recent fall

HAVING now nearly recovered from the shock of my recent fall in Little Common, I must now pay tribute to the two fine lads, James Vaughan and George Simpson, who came immediately to my aid in getting me to my feet again.

Their quick thinking and courtesy I am sure saved me from a more severe reaction. Many thanks.

ROBERT LEWCOCK,

Address supplied

Feel free to turn up

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WITH reference to last week's letter from Katherine Wallace expressing an interest in joining a local singing group, I am a local music teacher and run two small very friendly singing groups at St Peter's community Centre, Old Town Bexhill on Tuesday evenings.

One for 14 to 25 year olds at 6.15pm and one for the over 25's at 6.45pm.

They are both fairly new groups and we welcome new members. No experience is necessary and all types of voices are needed. We intend to have lots of fun singing all genres of music. The Youth Group is entering Hastings Music Festival in March and has already performed at two venues around the town. I'd be delighted to invite Katherine and any one else interested to join one of these groups. Please feel free to turn up to our practice session on Tuesday.

JULIE GEORGE

Magdalen Road

They let it happen

THE Israelis did what they wanted when they wanted. Having provoked Hamas with an illegal blockade and then by breaking the Egyptian-mediated ceasefire, which until then, had been a stunning success, they moved in.

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And those heroes of the hour, Brown, Merkel and Sarkozy, stood by and let it happen - deliberately.

Their cowardice and sycophancy places a responsibility on us to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Brown, of course, has form having stood by for 11 years watching our economy go down the pan - indeed encouraging it as much as he did the Israelis.

Now that the conflict has ended, at the time of writing, we hear Brown regards it as a "tragedy," while David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, has expressed his "great relief".

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That relief, I suspect, is shared by his colleagues and has more to do with no longer having to pretend to sympathising with the Palestinians and looking the other way as the Israelis bomb yet another refugee-packed UN building.

There is prima-facie evidence of Israeli war crimes. Our government's involvement will emerge over time. And we have form there, too, of course - Iraq.

STEPHEN JACKSON

Second Avenue

Rother pressurised

I WAS interested to read the letter from Dave Sully (January 9) regarding the possibility of legalising cycling on the promenade.

Like him I am also a retired resident and occasional cyclist. However my view about the creation of a cycle path along the promenade is contrary to his.

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Regarding the Victorian arrangements for cycling I think he is incorrect to say that cycling was permitted on the promenade.

My understanding is that a specific area, to the East of the Sailing Club was given over to cyclists and I believe it was fenced off from the promenade itself. In any event the long-skirted ladies on their heavy machines were worlds apart from the furious pace of some mountain bike riders of today.

I lived in St Leonards for many years before moving here some ten years ago and my family and I would often enjoy walking on the promenade before the introduction of a cycling lane.

My view is that Hastings Council spoilt the enjoyment of the promenade by mixing cycling with walkers and compounded it by not providing a proper barrier between the two groups.

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In the pre-cycling days families could walk freely along the promenade without the need to worry about keeping a close eye on their young children. Hence it was a relaxing place for all concerned. That atmosphere has been destroyed now and parents have to be vigilant at all times to ensure that their children do not stray into the cycling lane.

I think it would be a great pity if Rother Council felt pressurised to create a cycle path on the promenade when the adjoining road here carries nothing like the volume of traffic in Hastings and for its eastern end in particular is extremely wide.

COLIN DANIELS

Magdalen Road

A pat - or not?

WHY does Rother Recycling keep patting itself on the back when it cannot or will not recycle carboard packaging or half the available plastics.

TONY ASHBY

Valentine's Day Ball

A FABULOUS Valentine's Ball with Dinner, great band etc, is being held in aid of The Tree of Hope Children's Charity.

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The Ball is on Saturday, February 14, (St Valentine's Day), at St Bede's School, The Dicker, Nr. Hailsham.

The event starts at 7.30 pm

Tickets are:- a table of 10 people - 300, or 35.00 each. The event is a black tie event.

To buy tickets email '“ [email protected]

We would like some volunteers on the day, to decorate the hall in the morning, and to serve at tables in the evening. Volunteers can change clothes and enjoy the ball after the dinner. Please call Corinne Gardner on 01424 224656.

CORINNE GARDNER

The Tree of Hope Children's Charity

De La Warr Road

Perplexed comments

I FOUND the comments regarding plans for six flats at Cooden Drive perplexing to say the least. Officers will advise Rother Planning Committee that these flats, if built, would be 'overly large and dominant' and that a previous application was refused as being out of character and would cause loss of amenity to neighbours. What a pity these sentiments were not expressed when permission was given for the flats currently being built at the sea end of Sackville Road.

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The residents of Egerton Road and Cornwall Road are totally overshadowed by this monstrosity of a building and no thought was given to their situation. If ever a building was 'overly large and dominant' this is it. Of course the fact that council tax from 66 flats would be very welcome is not mentioned. As ever, it all comes back to money and greed. But maybe they will go the same way as the de la Warr Heights development opposite and remain empty or even turned into an hotel?

BRENDA MORGAN

Harewood Close

Bureaucratic planning

THROUGH your paper may I congratulate the BBC for the marvellous cover they gave Bexhill on their Friday Deckchair tour. The tour round Bexhill and the filming from the de la Warr Pavilion showing shots along the seafront must clearly point out to the bureaucratic people who sit on planning committees that the seafront is perfect as it is.

It does not need people in ivory towers, who obviously never walk the seafront like Deidre Williams, to tell us that when they walked in the rain and high winds recently that ladies would not want to walk to a restaurant when their hair would be messed up and their clothes would get wet. How often does she walk along the seafront, as it is windy most of the time?

Maybe if these people, who have millions of pounds to spare (our money) would like to take some money out of reserves and spend it on decent pavements, opening the toilets again and helping businesses to re-open the many, many shops that have closed before thinking of building more shops and restaurants which are surely not needed.

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And could they not employ another traffic warden to monitor the 2 hour parking limit, which would keep the traffic moving? This is no criticism of the lady who does the job now on her own.

So come on planners '“ leave the warmth of your ivory towers, walk round our beautiful town and ask the people what they want '“ I'm sure you would be surprised.

PETER MORGAN,

Harewood Close

Shortsightedness

I WAS really pleased to hear that Iceland is coming back to Bexhill, just now hope, busy mums can park in Devonshire Road, as we are told all mums go to Iceland.

It would be a great shame to see Iceland go the same way as Woolworths through lack of parking facilities, and the shortsightedness of Rother District Council members who planned town public parking.

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The price of a taxi into town and return, may ultimately mean Iceland will not be the saving, of retail park supermarkets.

PATRICIA SCANTLEBURY

St James Ave

Bexhill

Quick and friendly

I AM delighted to discover that the old Post Ofice on London Road has recently installed a new Payzone machine which will enable anyone fed up with queuing at our main Post Office to once again pay their council tax and utility bills, without the usual long wait! They also offer a good next day parcels service at very competitive rates. The service is quick and friendly too.

MALCOLM HOLLAND

London Road

Sunday - and sad

IT IS probably very good news that Iceland will now be occupying the former Woolworth premises, think of the number of customers that showed up at Glyne Gap!

I'd noticed last weekend what a sad and "gap toothed" appearance Devonshire Road had, particularly on a on a Sunday, without the activity around "Woolies".

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If there is a desire to trade, I wondered why it was that some businesses were open and others not? What could be done to liven things up as the summer approaches, perhaps some business rate relief for Sunday opening owners? I then heard on the news that this charge is going up, nationally, by an extraordinary thirty percent over the next two years anyway! Keeping Bexhill alive through an inevitable economic depression will will require an innovative and focussed approach that doesn't just rely on "dream schemes" no-one can see the need for or praying for major businesses to turn up!

One of the cheapest options is to create a reputation for Bexhill as a friendly, welcoming, place where shops are open and those supervising the enviroment show some flexibility, whether it's on planning requirements (awnings, smoking areas etc] or enforcing the road traffic law.

Of course double parking, even on the widest street in town, or occupying taxi bays is an offence but in either case, particulary where the redesignated taxi area is "new" to many, a warning might be much more customer friendly.

Police officers should be aware that indignant newspaper comment on this subject (Observer, January 16] can just as easily be taken as a delight in issuing tickets to soft targets (although I'm sure that it isn't and please note that I'm not a car user with a grievance myself].

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Even on the following cold Saturday a small amount of sunshine managed to hit Devonshire Square. To experience it fully though, you would have needed to be standing close to Walkers on the (actually] extra wide area of road "narrowing". Unfortunately, that was being traversed by a bus at the time. Why not experiment with closing the square to traffic altogether so it can be used effectively for recreation and social gathering, particularly in a hot summer season? The space by the white fencing could then become a performance area to entertain visitors and boost business. No concreting or despoiling of the DLWP environs would be required - they've got a terrace already!

It doesn't take a great deal of imagination to envisage how the entire Devonshire Road "strip", from the square to the sea, could be re-branded as a vital main artery carrying the Bexhill visiting experience. It was no doubt like that a hundred years ago! This might sound like a pipe dream but it's probably very achievable with realistic/positive leadership. Some kind of a nightmare might well be the alternative to action now! Remember that anyone visiting Bexhill to shop at Iceland or anywhere else in town may well gain their first impressions on that few hundred yards. The Observer "10 Years Ago" feature has now reached 1998/9. I remember that Hastings/Bexhill was only just starting to come out of really bad times at that point.

DAVE WALSH

Rotherfield Avenue

Italian Way thanks

ON behalf of my friends who attended the pre-Christmas lunch and the people I spoke to at the De La Warr Pavilion, I wish to thank everyone involved at The Italian Way restaurant for arranging such an enjoyable occasion, taking into account special dietary requests.

Also for providing free entry to the De La Warr Pavilion Christmas concert and the wonderful hampers presented to everyone.

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The team obviously worked extremely hard. Every gesture was warmly welcomed and received.

MARCIA LINDEN

Martyns Way

Memories of Biddy

IN reply to Jean Walker's memories of Biddy (Tubman) Stonham, I remember him when I was a lad helping my dad Glencoe with the first "Wonders of the Deep" fish cart. Biddy was very clever with his tub spinning himself and with people in it but not very clever giving autographs as he could not write. He would write a X and I or someone else who was there would write Biddy the Tubman.

PETER VENESS

Constable Way

Bexhill-on-Sea

The Prince's Trust

THE January blues seem bleaker than normal.

But for a significant core of youngsters, the prospect of a happy New Year seems even more elusive than ever.

A Prince's Trust report suggests that one in ten young people in the South East think their life is meaningless, with those not in work or training twice as likely to think their life has little or no purpose.

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These findings are especially alarming when you consider that in the South East, more than 27,000 18 to 24-year-olds are currently unemployed according to the Office for National Statistics. The long-term emotional toll of their unfulfilled ambitions and the region's loss of their potential is a sad loss and one that The Trust aims to tackle.

The Prince's Trust in the South East supported more than 3,000 disadvantaged young people last year, developing their self esteem and skills to get jobs.

Simon Fulford

Regional Director, The Prince's Trust