Your Letters - January 4

MAY I please respond to the Observer reports on Friday, December 21?

Can I make it very clear I am the first to defend our Hospital staff and the Hospital for the excellent care we receive but I cannot accept the need to deny us what both main parties continually insist we get - "Free treatment at the point of delivery".

In 1997, when the Conquest commenced this obnoxious tax on the sick I attempted to get the Hastings and Rye MP and the Secretary of State for Health to intervene and stop it. Michael Foster stated, "It is only a 1 per day." Needless to say they both agreed with it. Even the hospital spokesman admits the charges are now equal to commercial parking rates intended to generate profit. A new concept of health care? Care to comment Michael?

Now haven't we heard this old chestnut about hospital car parks being used as a Park and Ride before? Never been established but I suppose any excuse is better than none. Can anyone see a motorist adding about 90 minutes to their journey to work time with bus fares the level they are?

Eastbourne in particular that never has had a parking scheme! Surely, instead of creating incentives to encourage staff to spend more time travelling to work, how about those old employers must aim of "Keep the staff happy" - because a happy staff works harder and more efficiently.

As I said I support our hospital and staff but please don't tell these stories to a donkey, or stand well back if you do, because he will kick you.

DENNIS MOON

Hastings Road

Cooden speed

I THINK that I can speak for all the residents of Cooden Drive, in particular those who live between the Cooden Beach Hotel and the Wickham Avenue road junction, in saying how unacceptable speeding vehicles are to the residents along our road, both from the point of view of general safety as well as our peaceable existence.

Every hour of every day cars and vans travel down Cooden Drive at excessive speeds, some appearing to be travelling over 60mph. Any car travelling at the new limit of 30mph is either overtaken or tail-gated.

The police have little time or resources to set up random speed checks and the installation of a single speed camera will do nothing to stop driving over the speed limit. Anyone knowing the road will slow down when passing the speed camera and immediately speed up again, which is inevitably on a very straight road which is over two miles in length.

I have suggested to members of East Sussex County Council that they install three or four electronic speed indicator signs at strategic points along Cooden Drive. However, the answer has been that these types of signs cannot be installed on urban roads!

I have pointed out that the London borough of Bromley have them on many roads throughout the borough and they certainly have a psychological effect on drivers who see their speed displayed for all to see, including any law enforcement officers who happen to be on patrol.

The only positive action from our county council has been to hang signs on about 12 lamp posts telling drivers to slow down and reminding them that they are travelling on a 30mph road.

How ineffectual!

It's a bit like the signs at the entrances to Egerton Park, some of which are ten feet off the ground and therefore unreadable in the dark, telling you the park is closed at night.

I just hope that some positive action will be taken to curtail this unacceptable problem.

Grumpy Old Man

Cooden Drive

Name and address supplied

Pavilion costs

'TIS the season to be merry but not much evidence of that at the December cabinet meeting.

The leader of the council drew attention to the financial position of the council and the ever-increasing demands on finances and resources which he said needed to be utilised more effectively and efficiently than ever before. And in the twinkling of an eye, and without dissent, the cabinet approved a report setting out the proposed increased fees in respect of park games and special events, allotments, beach activities, filming, car parking and cemetery fees.

It was also agreed to reduce Rother's cash contribution of 10,000 to the Battle Partnership to 2,000, and the sum of 30,000 for the production of the Bexhill, Battle and Rye Town Guides to be reduced by 10%.

But what is this? A De La Warr Pavilion working group was set up in March 2007 to consider revenue and capital funding issues and options for reducing, limiting, capping and/or extending the council's annual revenue subsidy commitment to the De La Warr.

The working group's recommendations are supposed to form a policy to guide and inform future decision-making. The working group is to make its final report to the overview and scrutiny committee sometime this month.

However the December cabinet meeting had before it a report of the director of resources on the draft revenue budget for 2008/09. Included in the draft revenue budget is a sum of 606,300 for the De La Warr in 2008 / 2009, an increase of 35,000 over the present financial year. But apparently a sum of this order doesn't raise any eyebrows among cabinet members. No mention in the minutes of any murmur of dissent. Room surely there for savings? And where did this figure come from? The working party has yet to report and their report considered by the overview and scrutiny committee. I think we should be told.

J. E. Goldsworthy (Mrs)

Glengorse

Battle

The Observer understands the draft revenue figure is purely provisional and that the cabinet will respond after the overview and scrutiny committee has reported. Ed.

Cycle route

HOW wonderful to hear that Sustrans Connect 2 has moved forward the plans for the cycle route between Bexhill and Hastings. Surely now would be the ideal time to extend this and once again consider a cycle lane along the promenade from Galley Hill to Cooden.

In the meantime, perhaps the seafront no-cycling policy could be scrapped and signs welcoming "careful and considerate cyclists" along the promenade, would be an ideal solution. After all, motorised invalid cars seem to be tolerated and in my experience some of these can be far more hazardous to pedestrians as the attitude of many of these drivers is that THEY have the automatic right of way.

Having cycled along the seafront road myself, negotiating all the parked cars and being extremely aware of inconsiderate car drivers, there is no way we should be encouraging cyclists of any age, let alone children, to consider this a safe way to travel.

Julie George

Magdalen Road

Antiques let-down

I HAD been looking forward to watching the BBC Antiques Roadshow on Sunday evening and I was rather disappointed when a, not very old, red sportscar was used to introduce the programme.

I was, nonetheless, delighted to see the Pavilion looking so good and full of people milling about and standing in line, waiting, some with their precious possessions, to take their turn with the 'experts.' During the programme we kept seeing little glimpses of the Pavilion, the Colonnade and the beach; excellent photography and a very good 'show-case' for our Pavilion but I'm afraid the pride and the pleasure must end there.

How many of the people, waiting patiently in the sunshine, got to see an expert and did any of them subsequently appear in the final edited programme? I suspect not many; those people, I suggest, appeared to have about as much chance of getting on the programme as they would have of winning a prize in a TV 'phone-in' or a Blue Peter competition.

I always thought that programmes of this type, and there are several popular imitations, invited people to 'turn up' with their precious objects and hope to be interviewed and filmed for inclusion in the edited broadcast. I accept that the producers need to make an interesting and varied programme and will want to pre-select some artefacts but I felt that there was probably far too much pre-selection and not enough interest shown in people walking, and standing about with the obligatory carrier bags containing genuinely interesting objects. An antique is generally accepted as something from a past age; the majority of people living in Bexhill must be over thirty so 1978 is hardly a past age. Some artefacts from the 'Seventies might be considered to be antique one day in the future and I suppose that people saving them now can hope that their value will increase over the years but, to have so-called experts predicting a value in thirty years time was far from convincing and, I suggest, further lowered the tone of the 'Special' show.

The BBC did not 'do any favours' for Bexhill by recording the programme here, (except as I mentioned in my first paragraph) on the contrary, I suggest that the overall impression given by the programme was that Bexhill has no past worthy of note, could be connected in some way to a South American revolutionary who died more than forty years ago and that the town's only redeeming feature is a great building that is ideally suited to staging up-market boot fairs. Nothing could be further from the truth.

How very disappointing and what a wasted opportunity

Peter Fairhurst

Rookhurst Road

Grave concern

Copy of a letter sent to The Chief Executive, Rother District Council:

WOULD you please advise what is happening at Bexhill Cemetery? On a recent visit to the "Forces Corner" area I noted that the C.W.G.C. head stones have been placed back to back in pairs away from their original positions.

Quite a number of other gravestones etc in the area have been cleared. Some headstones have been buried so any "history" on them will be lost.

No doubt on November 11th councillors heard the ode and said "Lest we forget". Well it appears in Bexhill they do forget the fallen of WWll! The German personnel who were buried there were repatriated and this left gaps. Originally only two headstones were placed back to back and now that is the fate of them all.

I assume the operations / maintenance of the cemetery is contracted out and no doubt to the lowest tender and one wonders what consultations take place between the contractor and council.

If a town of 3,200 people in Australia can provide a decent memorial for just three C.W.G.C. graves, Bexhill can do better than the current situation. My preference would be for the headstones to be placed back in their original / correct positions and the area around them be properly maintained and inspected by council at least annually.

I declare an interest in the matter as I am the younger brother of W. C. Green 1878045 Royal Engineers, who was killed by a bomb at Hastings whilst on leave on September 30, 1940. He was on leave because the barracks at Chatham were required for those evacuated from Dunkirk.

You will note I am forwarding copies of this letter to the Bexhill Observer and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

GORDON E GREEN

Toowoon Bay

New South Wales

Australia

Bright journey

OVER the last few weeks I have had to make the tedious journey from Bexhill to the Conquest Hospital via Bexhill Road, Harley Shute Road and would like to thank the home owners who've made the journey much more bearable with their wonderful Christmas lights. Well done and a Happy New Year to you all.

JACKY DICKSEE

Cooden Drive

Bexhill

Best care

DURING the early hours of the morning of Sunday, December 23 while staying overnight at my brother's house I suffered serious chest pains. I had suffered an anterior myocardial infarction (heart attack) produced by a 99% Proximal LAD Stenosis.

My sister in law telephoned the ambulance at approximately 0130 and it arrived within five minutes. From that moment I was treated with what appeared to me to be exceptional efficiency.

Firstly the paramedics stopped the pain and stabilised me in the ambulance before speeding off to the hospital where on our arrival the A&E team were waiting and set to work as I was wheeled in to A&E. The staff carried out their various task quietly and efficiently and without any delay; once those had all been completed and without pause I was wheeled to the ward where again in a seamless operation I was connected to the ECG machine and the various drips. So far everything had gone far better than I could possibly have wished but it got even better as before the night was over I was informed that I had suffered a heart attack and probably would be having an angiogram the following day (Christmas Eve) when the repair work would be carried out at the same time. I would be in hospital for a week. On Sunday afternoon Dr Walker came to explain the procedure for the following day and had the even better news that I could well be released on Boxing Day or even Christmas Day. On Monday just before 10am I was wheeled to the operating theatre. By just after 11am the procedure had been completed and I was back on the ward. With the excellent care of the CCU ward nurses I was able to be released on Christmas Day. I had visions of being in hospital for at least a month and I was out and walking around town (slowly, having a Boxing Day coffee at the De La Warr Pavilion) three days after admission.

From calling the ambulance to release was 66 hours which I consider to be quite exceptional and I can only reiterate my admiration for the skill, professionalism and efficiency of the all the teams involved; paramedics (whose initial action was of course crucial), the A&E team, the various shifts of nurses on the CCU ward whose knowledge, experience and calm efficiency for long shifts was admirable and finally the most incredible theatre team under Dr Walker and the various cardiologist registrars who were involved in my diagnosis. The CCU and James Ward Sister must be extremely proud of her team. But perhaps her leadership is reflected by the fact that she did the Christmas Day shift herself, which was no sinecure.

H I AXTON

Balfour Road

Walmer

Kent

Power lapse

Copy of a letter to EDF Energy:

ON Saturday morning, the December 1, whilst quietly writing my Christmas cards I became aware of a noise like a "sigh" emanating from my kitchen area and when I investigated I found that the microwave oven was giving out this little noise, without any help from me, in other words I was not using it. Shortly after my telephone rang and it was my neighbour to enquire if I had any problems with my electricity supply, as so far as she was concerned both her microwave and computer had no power, and as she was about to leave for an appointment I offered to take the matter up with your company.

You can imagine my surprise when the "mechanical" voice informed me that over your entire catchment area you had some 10/12 breaks in supply to various areas, including Bexhill, and asked us to be patient. This is not good enough. Just recently we have had two major breakdowns in supply, one lasting 3 hours during the early evening, and another for approximately 1 to two hours in the middle of the night, heaven alone knows what happened to those poor souls who rely on electric alarm clocks to get them out of bed in the morning to enable them to get to work. I am retired it did not affect me.

Before moving to Bexhill I lived in Wallington in Surrey for 24 years and during that time, apart from the winter of discontent, we had only one breakdown when a workman drilled through a cable and this was corrected very quickly and efficiently. (As a matter of interest could you tell me what happened to all the Seeboard engineers when you took over the company?)

It seems to me that if you are unable, or incapable, of supplying electricity to your catchment area without frequent breakdowns, it seems logical to suggest that you should let another company take over the supply, because so far as I am aware you only seem interested in increasing the amount we have to pay for electricity without any back up from your incompetent company.

I look forward to hearing your views in due course.

MURIEL J. MAASSEN

First Avenue

Care thanks

THE Bexhill Caring Community would like to send everyone who has supported the charity best wishes for 2008. In particular we would like to thank all the schools, churches, organisations and individuals who have made donations throughout the year which enable us to continue to help the many residents of Bexhill who call upon our services, and particularly for the wonderful support for the annual Christmas Appeal.

Our thanks also to the many volunteers who give of their time to visit on our behalf. To the many drivers, library service and office helpers and to all those who help in any small way.

Our wishes also to all residents of Bexhill whom we have been able to support in 2007.

2008 will be a very busy year with fund-raising for our much needed Community Room. If anyone has any building skills, fund-raising expertise, etc., and would like to help please contact the office.

Happy Christmas.

MARGARET VON SPEYR

Manager

Bexhill Caring Community

Poll dates

I READ (Observer, December 28) that Councillor Martyn Forster, is confused by election dates and states that, unless there is a bye-election, people will not be able to vote him off the district council until 2009.

Not true Martyn; you are safe in St. Michael's Ward until 2011; in 2009 it is your lucrative county council seat that is likely to be taken from you.

Peter Fairhurst

Rookhurst Road