Your letters - August 13

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Back to the future

IT would have amused Ken Igglesden, formerly a proof reader at the Bexhill Observer, that, on the day of his obituary in your esteemed publication, there was a rather glaring misprint.

Whilst your inner pages were all correctly dated July 30, the front page gave the date as JUNE 30.

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Remarkably, we had all missed this error, but it did not escape the eagle eyes of Ken's widow, Elsie; she is obviously continuing in Ken's footsteps! So, watch out!

David Robson

Son-in-law

c/o Brookfield Court

Lionel Road

Graffiti problem

I NOTICED the authorised graffiti area at Galley Hill is working well.

Not only have the railway arches, several beach huts and the Coastguards House been vandalised with 'tagging' but the signs warning this facility will be withdrawn if unauthorised damage is caused in the area have been 'tagged' , making them unreadable as well.

I hope Rother District Council will carry out its threat and remove this facility now this damage has occurred, and stand the cost personally for the stupid idea in the first place, which was asking for trouble.

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The committee which authorised this should pay for the clean up and wake up to the real world.

Karin Malley

Sutton Place

Bexhill-on-Sea

Opportunity, not threat

"THE De La Warr delivers a world class arts experience ..." states a spokesperson for the Arts Council of England (Bexhill Observer, August 6).

Is this an exercise in irony or is art on a worldwide scale really in such a parlous state?

I understand that one of the purposes of art, particularly Modern Art, is to stimulate thought.

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The current exhibition at the Pavilion resembles a collection of unsold items left behind at Glyne Gap on a Sunday morning so this is clearly a matter for academic debate - "Is rubbish Modern Art or is Modern Art merely rubbish '“ discuss".

My wife and I willingly paid 10 each to watch the excellent production by BATS at the Manor Gardens and we are looking forward to going again next year.

People will pay to see that which they value and I have no problem with subsidising those who can't afford to do so.

But the size of the subsidy currently received by the Pavilion through central funding (The Arts Council) and local government (Council Tax) is staggering and I am highly sceptical about the figures that suggest that hordes of people are drawn to the town to view the unfathomable.

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I have great sympathy with the many people in both private and public sectors who are going to lose their jobs due to draconian, politically motivated but economically unjustifiable, cuts in public spending.

Nevertheless, there is a need for reality in public expenditure and if some pet projects, funded by our money, become severely curtailed I will not object.

The removal of overgenerous subsidies focuses the mind on that which people are prepared to spend their money on.

The Pavilion is indeed an iconic building and if it is used as intended, ie to provide pleasure for the mass of the people of the area, then it can be made to pay for itself.

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The restaurant, including the roof terrace, could offer a superb dining experience but it needs to lose its "authentic" 1930s feel and instead offer a standard of comfort and cuisine which modern diners expect.

This would have the added advantage of obviating the need to construct the ill-fated Troglodytes Caves which yet more of our money is about to be wasted on.

An entrepreneurial management would be filling the auditorium by putting on shows which the public will pay to see.

Let those who pompously profess to know what "quality" is put their own money into it. With a change in mindset the removal of subsidies from the Pavilion can be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat.

FRANK WOOD

Collington Lane East

Bexhill

Mess under the name of art

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I THOUGHT there were protests about a new rubbish tip in Turkey Road, Bexhill. Do these protesters not know that the planners have opened a new tip already in Bexhill? It's at the De La Warr Pavilion ground floor.

Nobody would know if you took your black bags in and threw them on the floor. It's a mess, going under the name of art. They have also got a box to put your old paper in, also going under the name of art.

So all you protesters: stop protesting about Turkey Road, its going to be an art gallery!

BRIAN HOOD

Hillcrest Avenue

Bexhill

More on music venues

A FEW points in response to Dave Walsh's letter (Bexhill Observer July 23) regarding Music Venue Support:

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1. A lot of these venues do not advertise and then wonder why they get little support, and most pubs expect musicians to play almost for free after they've spent years honing their skills.

2. For those who do not have access to a car, public transport does not run a late service.

3. The older persons' view of pubs and clubs is lots of noisy young people,and "vertical" drinking (no seats for us old uns!).

He also mentions the Bexhill Jazz Festival (30 bands playing eight venues,over three days); that was not repeated, as there was little support from local business ( with the exception the Observer) and a severe lack of accommodation for people coming from outside the area. It must be said however, that of the 300 or more that attended each day, more than half came from outside the Rother area even as far away as Ilfracombe and Aberdeen!

Jim Pearce

Bancroft road

Bexhill on Sea

Everyone was caring

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I WOULD like to thank all the people for helping me when I collapsed at the bus stop outside Wards, Devonshire Road, last Wednesday.

Also thanks to the paramedics, doctors and nurses at the A&E at the Conquest Hospital.Everyone was so caring.

Sylvia Kent

Hastings Road

Bexhill

Tracing the Farnfields

I AM hoping that your readers may be able to help me. I am looking for photographs of the Farnfield Family of Bexhill-on-Sea.

The particular family I am interested in is that of Thomas and Elizabeth Farnfield who lived at Hamilton Terrace. They had a lot of children '“

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Thomas who married Annie, Elizabeth, George, Albert Edward, Percy Hamilton, Charles Ernest, Alfred Harold.

Alfred Harold enlisted into the RAMC in 1915 and married Olive Jarvis in Bexhill in 1917. They had three children, Edna, Kenneth and Phyllis. As far as I know they all still live in the area.

Kenneth married Dorothy Pullan and had a son and daughter, Paula and Ian.

I would love to hear from any of the descendants and of course will offer a copy of this family history. My e-mail address is: [email protected]

CAROLINE WETTON

31 Beaconsfield Road,

Coventry CV2 4AS

Collection successful

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SHIPMATES of the Bexhill Branch of the Royal Naval Association would like to thank the manager and staff of Sainsbury's, Buckhurst Place, for allowing us to hold a charity collection on Friday, July 23.

We would like to thank all the generous customers who made our day a success. Our total for the day was 425.36. This money will be shared amongst various seafaring charities later in the year when we have completed our other collections.

If you were a member of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary or Merchant Navy, come and join us at our monthly meetings. Our next meeting will be held on Monday, August 23 at the Egerton Park Indoor Bowls Club, 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Please ring Fred Cayton on 219035 for further information.

Fred Cayton

Secretary, Bexhill Branch

Watermill Close

Bexhill

Thanks to Friends

Re Musical Miscellany at St Barnabas Church on July 24: The Friends of St Barnabas are extremely grateful to Jane and the Friends for giving so freely of their time and considerable talents in support of the church restoration fund. We would like to thank them not just for a delightful evening of song, but for a wonderful evening that will live long in the memory.

Jenny Edgar

Chairman

Friends of St Barnabas

Treat for motorists

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WHAT a treat to drive along the A269 road from Lunsford Cross to St Marys Lane now.

It has been a misery over many years negotiating the many humps and bumps along the main road to Bexhill. I take my hat off to the contractors who carried out the work of kerbing and resurfacing with a minimum of disruption. Okay,there were temporary traffic lights but very little delay.

Perhaps they should to have a go at the West Parade mess?

PATRICK WALKER

Duke Street

Bexhill

Encouraging words

IT'S always nice to receive kind words of encouragement about my 'Christian' letters on this page from new friends in various churches. But many don't know that I spent 10 years outside churches after finding faith. I'd been so hurt by life and people in the church that it was the last place I'd want to go!

Many people outside of churches walk each day with Jesus. Like the two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). They crave friends in Christ and hunger to listen to people who love Him and His word, the Bible.

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I just want to send my love to each person who reads my letters but can't meet me yet. I've walked the Emmaus road, my heart burning within, one day you will turn and take the road back to 'Jerusalem', until then your faith is just as valid as mine. Jesus loves you and walks with you. He hears those prayers and is working on that pain that threatens to overwhelm you. Smile - Hallelujah!

Paul Minter

Dorset Road

Bexhill

CO2 and the link road

I HAVE just had to remind myself that our MP, Gregory Barker, is Minister of State for Climate Change.

He has just visited India along with Prime Minister Cameron where he "aired his views" on climate change. He said, "It's time to stop preaching and start listening" (Bexhill Observer, August 6).

Mr Barker also said on his tour: "The new government is determined to bring a fresh approach to the climate debate".

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Well, he might apply the "fresh approach" to affairs in his own back yard.

The stale, old and massively expensive (100 million) Bexhill to Hastings Link Road (BHLR) project is one area where he might begin to apply that approach.

Here's why:

'¢ The Climate Change Act of 2008 requires overall reductions in CO2, and the transport sector must make its contribution from within the transport sector: it cannot be traded elsewhere.

'¢ BHLR will lead to a two per cent increase in CO2 by 2010 while the required reduction is 14 per cent (Department for Transport "Low Carbon Transport - A Greener Future").

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'¢ It gets worse as time moves on, with a 10 per cent increase by 2050 instead of a required 80 per cent fall.

'¢ The "value for money" figures claimed for the BHLR by Mr Barker and fellow fans of the outdated "big road" approach to transport, and unsustainable car based developments, relies for 80 per cent of its value on very small and undetectable time savings of around two minutes. This questionable value would be altered and reduced if compared to alternative transport measures (never tested). These would be more likely to bring CO2 reductions and achieve objectives falsely claimed for the Link Road.

'¢ With the link road, by 2025 there is a forecast decline in public transport usage.

'¢ In 2009, the BHLR was the second worst road scheme out of a total of 59 schemes assessed for their calculated CO2 emissions (Parliamentary written answer by Gillian Merron MP, Hansard, May 17, 2007).

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Yes Mr Barker, please stop preaching and start listening. And hopefully you will take some inspiration from some of India's actions.

Peter Caunter

Newlands Avenue

Bexhill

Surprised by letter

AS chairman for 20 years, president and life member of the Bexhill Sea Angling Club (BSAC), I was a little surprised at the sycophantic climbdown published over inshore netting.

Placing nets too close to shore is nothing new, it has been going on for years.

Some years ago now, the late Joe Twigge and Jack Mantle were forced by bad weather to come ashore at low water.

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Jack, who was a World War II veteran with an artificial limb, eased himself over the side of the boat and his bad leg became entangled in submerged nets.

Had the water been deeper the outcome could have been tragic.

Neither Jack or BSAC received an apology from Hastings fishermen at that time in spite of complaints made through the correct channels.

The sea between Dungeness and Beachy Head is plastered with nets 24-7 for 365 days of the year, how far is it necessary to come up the beach?

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Steve Hanks, a beach angler, made a justifiable complaint on behalf of beach anglers everywhere. Good on yer, mate.

It does get lonely out there, Steve, but Dick Penny would have approved.

Netting too close to shore is a bit like MPs expenses: "We have done nothing wrong or broken any laws."

No, but it ain't right, either.

Stan Collier

Claremont Road

Bexhill

Limits for sea fishing

Re the article on angler's concerns in the Bexhill Observer, I make the following observations.

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Paul Joy should be aware of his facts before he makes bland, inaccurate statements.

1. He's wrong to imply sea anglers don't have limits on what they can catch, there are national size limits for all sea anglers, in fact many of us practice catch and release.

2. There is no excuse for his colleagues fishing close to the shore line. In my view it's done out of greed and no other reason.

Mr Joy should ensure that his members keep their house in order if he wants support for his grievances regarding quotas.

G H Harmer

Church Road

Mountfield

Angler speaks out

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IN response to your article "Bexhill Anglers Cry Foul" and the letter written to this page by Arthur Freeman:

I am a beach angler, a club member of Bexhill Sea Angling Club writing as a private individual I wholeheartedly support the front page article and am somewhat confused by my club chairman's letter.

Having just spent a number of hours in a fishing competition last night where there were more anglers than fish caught on what should have been a good night for fishing means that the fish are not there.

Obviously they can swim away or they could have been caught and based upon the mood of the majority of the beach anglers at the club last night the blame was firmly being placed at the door of the commercial fisherman who continue to destroy the fish stocks around this area with no long term view to sustainability of stocks or where and how they catch their quota.

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The general consensus of the majority of the club's beach anglers, who I spoke to last night, was totally in favour of the article and to stop the wanton destruction of the marine habitat in this area by the commercial trawlers, including the bottom dredgers who kill huge swathes of the sea bed marine life, the pair trawlers and so on.

The boat angling section of the club seems not to be bothered by the commercial anglers, presumably because they can fish near wrecks or due to more personal reasons.

As a leisure angler, who always fishes to the "catch and release" scheme (whereby we return all fish back to the sea, alive, unless we wish to eat them and they are above the legal minimum) all I can say that when the commercial anglers have fished the Bexhill area, especially close in, there is no point in fishing for weeks afterwards as there will be few fish in the area, and the gradual decline in catches over the last years. Commercial and leisure anglers can co-exist peacefully and we both have a set of rules, which if adhered to should help with the sustainability of local fish stocks.

DAVID BRADSHAW

Chapel Park Road

St Leonards-on-Sea

Problem of seagulls

REGARDING the seagull problem at the north east part of Pebsham tip:

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Twenty years ago we were being told that there would be problems if the site was not closed soon.

Here we are and it is still operating. The more waste that is dumped in that area, the more problems the residents will have.

The landfill site has had more lives than a cat, it is past its sell by date and it should be closed as soon as possible.

With the proposed landfill site at Ashdown Brickworks, it appears that Bexhill is in the middle of of major mis-judgement being made by the East Sussex County Council's waste planning department.

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I think that some decisions have already been taken and as residents of the area we have the right to know.

R SANDERSON

Topcross Road

Bexhill-on-Sea

Delightful glow-worm

HAVE you ever seen a glow-worm? I am 67 years old and had never seen one until my two grandchildren, Greg and Catrina, went for a walk from Pebsham to Crowhurst over the fields.

On the way back in the darkness, along the old railway track, we noticed lights shining in the distance. They were glow-worms.

I feel sure after asking friends that not many people have seen them. I can recommend a visit: they are indeed a wonderful sight.

ROGER RALLEY

Warnham Gardens

Bexhill-on-Sea

Thank you care home

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It was so good to see our project with St Mary's highlighted last week in the article headed "St. Mary's student gets the job done".

However, much of the thanks should go to Karen Stacey, Manager of Lennox Lodge Care Home and all the residents who welcome Motivation and Co every week as part of their activity programme. Karen kindly agreed that Christian could join our team in order to gain his job experience.

So, from all of us, a very big thank you to Karen.

Cathy Stafford

Business owner

Motivation and Co

It could be better

THE seafront scheme could have been handled so much better.

If it really had to be done, why didn't the council do it after the holiday season had finished? Why didn't they do it in two or three stages to avoid the massive disruption we have now? And why didn't they insist on the contractors using three or four times as many workmen, so that the work could have been completed sooner?

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It is not surprising that most people in the town think the council is arrogant and extremely inconsiderate.

Jack Seabrook

Richmond Avenue

Bexhill

Information request

I AM seeking information regarding De La Warr Road in the early 1900s.

The deeds of my flat include a plan, dated 1901, showing "Pleasure Grounds and Tennis Grounds" running behind the houses eastwards from the junction of Dorset Road and De La Warr Road.

Were the "grounds" ever laid out, and if so, what became of them? Presumably they would have been incorporated into the gardens of the houses.

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It seems that the house-owners were responsible for the cost of laying out and maintaining these "grounds".

Can any of your readers with knowledge

of the area's history throw any light on the subject?

DOUG D SHADWELL

De La Warr Road

Bexhill

Mayor referendum

I REFER to your report in the Bexhill Observer of August 4 ("Council turns down mayor referendum").The Act referred to requires councils to review their current executive arrangements and to adopt one of two options for managing these in the future.

The first option introduces the concept of a directly elected "mayor", with enhanced executive powers, to be elected by residents and to be accountable solely and directly to them at subsequent council elections every four years. (The word "mayor" in this context is just the titular description of the post. The traditional ceremonial office of "mayor" is retained separately and in parallel and remains unaffected by this proposal).

The second option which the Act provides is an extension of the current arrangements, as at Rother District Council, which provide for a council leader elected annually by councillors and a Cabinet.

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The principal change to this proposed under the Act is that the council leader will now be elected by councillors for a four-year period and not annually as now. Removal of the council leader will require a resolution of the full council. As you reported, councillors adopted this second option at Cabinet.

Had councillors wanted to adopt the first option, the Act requires that full consultation with residents should take place, fully exploring all the implications and requiring endorsement by referendum.

Residents' opinions will of course vary on the concept of directly elected "mayors" with enhanced executive authority.

But the principle of direct electoral accountability by the "Leader" to residents is powerfully persuasive and, at the very least, worthy of serious consideration. (Would the council be spending 5.1 million of local tax-payers' money on the seafront without clear public support for example, under such a system?)

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By adopting the second option, councillors again escape the need to engage. Your report quoted a claim by Councillor Ganly in respect of the first option that the cost of consultation and a referendum at 200,000 was a "no-brainer" and that "there's no way we could find 200,000 to have a referendum to elect a mayor".

I would suggest to Cllr Ganly that this misses the point. The issue is not the election of a mayor but the possibility of electors, if they were so minded, being able to exact full accountability for the way their council is run and their taxes are spent.

The sum of 200,000 seems exaggerated, but even if it is accurate it is still less than four per cent of the money being spent on the seafront project!

And who knows what other arbitrary expenditure by our council might be avoided by a directly elected leader compelled to account to us personally?

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In your article you also reported Cllr Osborne as saying that a directly elected mayor would not work in Rother and you quoted him as asking: "What would Bexhill think about being run by a mayor from Ticehurst or Camber?"

Given that Bexhill is currently run by a councillor from Brede who is unaccountable to us, at least we could elect and sack a directly elected mayor from Ticehurst, or anywhere else, under the first option! Is that the real reason perhaps why it wasn't adopted?

The absence of serious consultation between residents and councillors was a major factor in the formation of the Bexhill Alliance. As your report clearly demonstrated, our councillors seem not to want this and to remain in their comfort zone.

JOHN LEE

Chairman, Bexhill Alliance

Advantages of life

I WAS saddened by L P Ramswell's letter (Bexhill Observer, August 6) regarding the future of the former Miramar tea rooms.

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The Miramar had been underused for some considerable time. It is too far from the centre of town to attract an entrepreneur to revitalise it as a business in its current form. Realistically a totally new use needs to be found.

It would be a very good idea to see the underprivileged youth of Bexhill being given a chance to use a redundant building and enjoy the advantages of life right on the coast.

It is grossly unfair to assume these young people are going to behave in an anti-social way without giving them a chance to show otherwise.

DAVID BARRY

Terminus Road

Bexhill

Please support charity

This is the link to my donations page for Pipefest 2010, please give a small donation to help raise money for Marie Curie cancer care: http://www.justgiving.com/Patricia-Donoghue

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My target is 300. I raised 700 in 2005 but I know the recession has hit so I am being realistic, but it would be fabulous if the customers and friends of EBC could beat the 2005 collection. Please help this great charity and support this brilliant event. Thank you,

Patricia Donoghue ( proprietor )

Edinburgh Bagpipe Company.

The Gael

Sea Road

Bexhill

So summer's come...

SO...

...Summer's come!

The sun's ablazing

Cows and sheep

Are quietly grazing

children shriek!

The sound's amazing

Thank you Lord

For double glazing.

Les D Pearce

Rhyme-man 2010

Eastwood Road

Bexhill

Challenge to readers

IT was interesting, but oh so frustrating to read the viewpoints of two readers on the subject of Bexhill's Carnival (Observer August 6).

Firstly, thank you PJ Watson for your recognition of the full year's work and fund-raising that goes into putting on Bexhill Carnival. Short of holding a pistol to someone's head you can't force anyone to enter a float, and you certainly can't accuse carnival chairman Nim Whitmarsh of lack of enthusiasm in trying to encourage entries!

On the subject of the cost of fairground rides, we have spoken to Nick Shaw who supports Carnival so well. His answer is that prices have remained static since 2003, and that all rides are half price on the Wednesday and Thursday evening. So, rather than the cost of rides on Carnival day itself being INflated, it's a case of Wednesday's and Thursday's prices being DEflated.

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We are sorry that Miss Davis feels offended and hope that she and her friends will understand when we try to explain why there is a charge for entry to Party in the Polegrove. Some very simple maths is required here. The event cost 6,500 to put on; this covered the artistes' fees, the staging, the hefty insurance bill, first aid cover, plus other sundries.

A total of 3,000 was taken on the gate in ticket sales. Shortfall - 3,500! Carnival has to fundraise all year round to subsidise the Party in the Polegrove.

To Clarissa Davies and PJ Watson we throw down a challenge! Pick up the gauntlet, join the Carnival Committee and help with ideas to make that procession longer and that entry price cheaper with your fund raising ideas.

We look forward to hearing from you...

Mrs Chris Cox

Bexhill Carnival spokesperson.

Arthur Road

Bexhill-on-Sea