Your letters - February 12

Common courtesy

I HEAR a lot of complaining in this town about young people and their lack of manners towards, and respect for, others. However, is it any wonder that so many are perceived to have such unpleasant traits when considering parental influences?

We are unfortunate enough to live near All Saints School in Sidley. During term time parents drive their children to and from school and park in our residential area morning and afternoon, as they cannot be bothered to use the public car park and walk that little bit further. Given that there are many more vehicles than legally available parking spaces, they tend to park wherever they can, including across the entrances to the blocks of garages and residents' driveways.

We know the school trys to deal with this issue, as several of us local residents have had children attend the school and received the letters they send out asking for people to use Sidley Car Park, rather than Calgary or Edmonton Road.

It wouldn't even be so bad if it could be seriously felt that these parents are acting in their children's best interests by getting them as close to the gate as possible.

This, however, is far from the case, as the sheer volume of vehicles and the appalling parking would make it impossible for any emergency service vehicle to navigate the road, should there ever be a need for one to attend the school, never mind the residential properties.

That notwithstanding, many of them tend to open the car and offload the children directly onto the road, leaving them to walk the rest of the way by themselves.

Several times, those who insist on parking their cars either across the entrance ways to our garages or actually in the garage areas themselves, have prevented us from going about our own business as we simply cannot get to our vehicles until they decide to leave.

Over the years, when we have complained about those who park illegally, we have been told to record their number plate details.

When one of the residents did this recently they were met with varying degrees of verbal abuse ranging from 'Snitch' to 'I pay my taxes so I can do what I like on this road'.

The fact that we all pay our taxes (road and council), not to mention rent for the garages that these ignorant parents are quite happy to block access to, seems to go right over their heads. Given that their children witness these attitudes, I return to the original point of my letter - look to the parents to see where lack of manners and common courtesy come from!

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Confused, concerned

WHEN will the management team at Bexhill High realise that spin only works if everyone sings from the same hymn sheet?

Sir Dexter Hutt tells the Bexhill Observer he is going in to work with Year 11 students to ensure they obtain the required GCSE standard during the move to the new site. Yet Mr Conn and Ms Hawksby imply a wider involvement in the transition. So which is it? No one can be surprised if there is criticism of the move when such fundamentals are not agreed and made public.

The echoes with last year's "consultation" will not be lost on any parent still confused about why their child needs to be detained in school until 5pm four days a week.

At various points, different reasons were given; eradicating homework, providing after school activities and improving exam results being just three. Individual meetings with governors did nothing to clear up the confusion, as they were there only to listen to parents' views and weren't able to provide any further details.

Personally, I suspect that the extended day was a condition of the funding, which would fit with DCSF policy.

What is apparent to anyone who has followed these developments is that Mike Conn and Co have struggled to run the existing school and to provide our children with an acceptable standard of education. The massive investment in the new school demands change, and I wonder if this is the real reason that Sir Dexter - a man who works with failing schools - is being brought in now. If so, I welcome the move, but I would also welcome some honesty from the school management.

We want information that's available to all parents, not to have to troop down individually for meetings that are rarely followed up with action. We want real input for all parents, not token gestures such as the Community Voice announced last week - which is completely inaccessible for any parent who works during the day.

Please, Mr Conn, governors, ESCC and Sir Dexter - don't take these questions as a personal affront, as happened last year, or tell us we don't understand and are jumping to conclusions. We are confused and concerned and want to know what is really happening at our children's school - and why.

There is still a long way to go in rebuilding the trust that was demolished by last year's fiasco - so make a start now and let's have real partnership in the education of our children. After all, that's what this really ought to be about.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Animal cruelty

WITH reference to your article in the recent Observer ("Animal cruelty out of control" - January 22), might I suggest the RSPCA and the police being involved.

Surely in this day and enlightened age we are not going to allow any animals to suffer be it a hamster or a beautiful gentle stallion.

The owner of the stallion has to be reprimanded or prosecuted.

We are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, so come on, someone out there have the courage to apprehend the offender of this horse.

We cannot allow such appalling treatment of defenceless animals.

YVONNE LIGHTFOOT-ST JOHN

Nazareth Close

Bexhill

You're a star

A COUPLE of weeks ago, I lost a gold bracelet. I wear it every day and it has great sentimental value to me.

I searched everywhere at home to no avail and realised I must have lost it whilst out on the seafront the previous day.

In a vain hope I called the police station and was told my bracelet had literally just been handed in.

I was so happy I could have cried. I know I could have claimed on my insurance but you cannot replace the sentimental value something has.

Thank you so, so much Angela for your honesty and kindness in handing it in, I just cannot thank you enough.

Needless to say it went straight to the jeweller's to have a couple of links taken out so hopefully it will not slide off again.

It does one's heart good to know there are such lovely people in Bexhill, thank you Angela, you really are a star.

JUNE HUNTER

Park Lane

Bexhill

Slapped on the wrist

I HAVE been 'slapped on the wrist' by shop manager and fellow trustee Chris O'Grady for one piece of incorrect information included in my recent letter.

The bad news is that the 10 per cent shop discount for Society members was only available over the Christmas period. However, the good news is that many items have been reduced in price for everyone, some by as much as 50 per cent, for the new season.

Visitors to the museum will also find that the stock has been completely re-displayed with many new and exciting lines; and do not forget that payment by card is now available.

Please note that access to the shop area is free for all.

However, we hope that once you have glimpsed the treasures in the Henry Sargent gallery you will want to explore them further.

And then venture into the two new galleries to view our fine range of costumes and social history exhibits and the cars and memorabilia in the motoring/ technology gallery celebrating Bexhill's motoring heritage from 1902 to the present day.

JOHN BETTS

Trustee

Society of Bexhill Museums Ltd

A heartfelt thank you

THROUGH your letters column, may I say a heartfelt 'thank you' to those very kind people in Bexhill who contacted me, offering donations for the Disaster Relief charity ShelterBox.

I can promise you that not a penny of your kindness will be wasted.

If any schools, businesses, or other organisations are interested, I do have to hand a real ShelterBox, which I can bring and show you.

Just contact me at the address below:

To learn more about the fantastic work of this Disaster Relief charity visit www.shelterbox.org

ROBIN POLL

Rotary Club of Senlac

Cooden Beach Hotel

Cooden Sea Road

Bexhill-on-Sea, TN39 4TT

Crazy golf is well used

ONCE again it appears we have the uninformed making comments about the Metropole putting green/crazy golf (Cllr Starnes, Bexhill Observer February 5)saying it is "little used in business terms".

I re iterate my previous statement of 15-20,000 (conservatively) per six-month season - is that "little used in business terms"?

I would imagine there are quite a few small businesses in Bexhill would like to be as "little used"as that for six months, bearing

in mind that the vast percentage of that is profit.

The crazy golf/putting green is an attraction, whatever is said and to remove it is a big mistake.

I agree the putting should go,but not the crazy golf - upgrade it, refurbish it but to remove the only real attraction on that part of the beach is wrong.

The De La Warr is not an attraction, its a curiosity with its bland, cold, uninviting corridors and stairwells, its underused theatre and vastly overpriced shop (who is going to pay 500 plus for a plywood magazine rack or 100 for a book on the De La Warr?) and as for the "art section", I've yet to find anyone who knows just what is going on there.

These people should visit the putting/crazy golf this year, being its last, because I doubt if they ever have, and see what people get out of it and take notice of their comments, because most people do not want it to go.

P CLARKE

Thakeham Close

Bexhill

Competence called for

IF the current crop of councillors were as competent as they are intransigent, there would be no need to vote them out of office in the May 2011 local elections.

DEREK DULY

Newlands Avenue

Bexhill-on-Sea

The Western Promenade - it's so important to get it right

DETAILS of the designs for the Western Promenade have recently become available. SOS has not had the opportunity to meet and form an opinion so I describe them now for your information without comment.

The existing separate areas of grass and flowerbeds will become a series of walkthrough gardens. The southern sides of the gardens will be recessed to accommodate some free-standing benches. Some of the gardens will include play-areas for younger children and toddlers.

The play equipment is difficult to describe but it will be securely fixed in place and designed to encourage the children to use the their imagination and sense of adventure. It will not include swings and roundabouts etc.

There will be a number of defined, limited-stay spaces to allow drivers to drop-off passengers before searching for a parking space, and a new system of integrated signage. New low-level surface lighting will make the promenade more accessible in the evening.

The existing benches will be replaced. Some will be re-sited on the eastern promenade. The new benches will all be made of timber with ergonomically designed backs of a normal height, and they will all have arms. Benches that are longer than the existing ones will have extra arms in addition to those at each end.

Many of the older generation need these arms to assist them with sitting down and getting up

again. I have been assured that there will be more seating than at present.

Owners of the commemorative benches have been given three options among which is to have, free of charge, a new memorial plaque on one of these new benches. I hope that RDC has by now come to an amicable agreement with all those affected.

The black tarmac will be replaced by resin bonded (coloured) gravel. The Edwardian railings will be replaced with modem ones similar to those sections that have already been replaced. Usable Edwardian railings that have been removed will be stored in case replacements are needed for those on the eastern promenade. The fate of Rotary's Sundial and Wishing Well is not yet decided.

When the Next Wave proposals were first published, most residents were happy with the existing seafront and considered that all that was needed was maintenance and refurbishment. However it soon became apparent that RDC was determined to implement the 5.lm scheme and SOS then sought to try to influence the outcome by offering what we saw as constructive criticism.

Many of the original Next Wave proposals have indeed now been changed for the better or discarded.

Among the elements that still concern residents are:

- The low backs of the benches on the Metropole Green, which are designed for appearance, not comfort.

- The excavation of the wings of the Colonnade to form seven timber fronted kiosks with permanent outside tabling.

- The possible non-replacement of the cafe in the Colonnade. Whether or not a "destination" restaurant is successfully established in the Colonnade, a cafe-style offer is also essential there.

- The obvious unsuitability of the current design of the proposed shelters and the question of their fitness for purpose, especially given Bexhill seafront's prevailing climatic conditions.

Duggan Morris Architects Ltd, designers of the chosen "conceptual" shelters, have recently engaged in discussions with local residents and groups, including SOS, to fmd out whether modifying their design could make it more acceptable.

Opinions on materials and the external appearance are lof course largely subjective.

They have however been made aware that residents expect the new shelters to provide a degree of protection from the elements similar to that offered by the existing shelters, as well as internal seating arrangements that offer views in more than one direction.

While we anxiously await the outcome, we fear that basing the design on the current "concept" will not lead to an acceptable and successful result.

It is so important that they get it right.

RON STORKEY

Chairman

Save Our Seafront

Thanks, Mermaid

I WOULD like to thank James Kimber for keeping the Mermaid at the Sackville open - against his better judgement.

Perhaps everyone who lives at the east end of Bexhill would help keep it going by using it more often. The beer is always kept well including the real ales from Sussex brewers.

The food is now excellent as it should be. When the sun shines there is a wonderful seating area outside. A great deal of money has ben invested both outside and inside and it is the perfect watering hole for walkers to Galley Hill.

Thanks Mr Kimber - I thought I would have to go further for my pint.

Perhaps more residents of Sutton Place and near the Mermaid will give it a try.

Hope you keep it going , profitably, for many years to come.

MICHAEL BOYLE

Sutton Place

Bexhill

How convinced?

WE have all heard of the Listening Bank, but some of us are amazed to see that Councillor Starnes sees himself as the listening Councillor.

How many are convinced by his stance? Where are all the residents expressing their gratitude to him for listening to their point of view?

In very short supply if the letters in your paper and my own observations are anything to go by! He says that residents requested more seating, but did he point out to them he intended to install these on the existing putting green?

Were the seats, people requested, merely fuelled by a desire to see the return of the seats, which used to be on the paved terrace immediately outside the Pavilion?

He purports to be presenting us with extra lawn which will give us a new facility for families, but I remain unconvinced by his views.

Unlike Cllr Starnes who believes only people willing to pay can enjoy the putting green, I, and I am sure many others, derive very great pleasure when we pass by and observe the very obvious delight of families sharing the experience of the putting green.

Observing is as pleasurable as playing as football fans know.

Perhaps Councillor Starnes has never taken time to register this aspect of what many see as a valuable asset

in our community.Councillor Starnes clearly believes he is presenting

himself as the voice of reason but how many see any evidence which persuades us to believe this?

CAROLE WOODLAND

Cooden Drive

Bexhill

Overpaid bankers

AS the financial crisis continues to affect many of us we can reflect on the resignation of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) chief executive, Hector Sants. This is the organisation that should have been monitoring the outrageous gambling, (they call it investment) by the banks where tax payers had to bail them out. Instead of being sacked for incompetence Mr Sants has resigned with the words: "the banks should be very frightened".

Of course, the buck actually stops with the government that oversees the FSA.

The Conservatives want to disband the FSA and hand over their job to the Bank of England. Well, I guess the Bank of England couldn't do any worse! As a hung parliament seems a possible prospect following the forthcoming General Election UKIPs new MPs may well be asked to form a coalition. I will support a complete reformation of this banking system that allows overpaid bankers to be subsidised by underpaid taxpayers.

TONY SMITH

UKIP PPC

Ashburnham, Battle

Sussex By The Sea

TO walk along some quiet lane

Where hums the busy bee

Or walk upon the balmy shore

Close by the briny sea

Where Galley Hill which stands so high

Looks o'er the Channel wide

Where Kings have walked in times gone by

Close by the rolling tide,

Where seagulls scream across the skies,

Where sea kale dots the sand

And when in many times of old

Invaders reached this land.

To Pevensey the Romans came

Near two thousand years ago

Then William with his Norman horde

Did give the final blow.

But still this land forever bloomed

A spirit proud and strong

A land 'twixt countryside and sea

Together they did bond.

To walk upon the briny shore

With Nature O so free

One thanks the Heavens that it made

This Sussex by the sea.

SHERIFA RASHIDALLY

Station Road

Bexhill