Readers Letters, May 26

My husband and myself walk our dogs daily at Normanston Park and we just wanted to say just how wonderful the groundsman has kept it looking so neat and tidy.

They work so hard to make sure it is always so good for the public whether it be for dog walkers, children's play, trainers, footballers, cricketers, tennis players and also the youngsters' skate park. If you are one of the parents to these skaters could you have a word with them to please clean up their mess and put into the bins very close by. Most of them do but some just choose not too and when asked to pick it up the poor groundsman gets nothing but abuse. Thank you.

MR AND MRS WILLIAMS

Email

Why can't PM say she's sorry?

Many people may have seen the General Election interview with Andrew Neil with the PM as it was on BBC 1 (Monday at 7pm)

As a Tory supporter, why can't the PM admit she got the social package wrong? It didn't take very long for a U-turn, but for heaven's sake the general public are not idiots!

Just say sorry, but I got it wrong! However politicians can't say 'sorry' can they. Obviously out for the votes.

The most important issue is getting the best deal from the EU. That is the most important issue on the table and who can deliver. Other national issues will only follow after the main point of the General Election is dealt with.

Please come to Christ Church on June 1 at 7.30pm to listen to what the local candidates say.

LLOYD ARMES

Carlton Colville

Some cyclists have road fears

I expect Barry Butcher will dispute it but his latest letter (Your Opinions, May 19) seems to indicate he thinks everyone sees and deals with things the same way as him.

His comment, 'I SUPPOSE (my emphasis) stammering affects people in different ways,' strikes me as telling. Of course it affects people in different ways, like many things in life, and I am most surprised if someone who has stammered for so many years has never considered the possibility.

It explains why some cannot just ignore stammering being used purely to make people laugh.

Returning to Mr Butcher's point that people who make fun aren't worth knowing, it doesn't stop it being hurtful. I am not sure why Mr Butcher makes the reference to stammering being used in songs. If he is comparing it to 'Still Open All Hours' it is not like-with-like. In 'Still Open All Hours' stammering was used purely to make people laugh.

With regard cycling, I realise Mr Butcher is far from the only one who would say I 'do go on' and sadly it includes some cyclists. Firstly, as a Cycling UK representative it is my remit to push the case for more cycling as forcefully as possible and that does sometimes involve being repetitive. However, a lot of the repetition in my letters is due to me responding to those arguing against me being repetitive themselves or trying to make points against me I have responded to many times or not grasping my points.

What is unfortunate is that some cyclists, usually those who have been cycling many years and serious cyclists who have no road fears, cannot understand why others have such fears and so see no point in special facilities for cyclists and often feel they work against cyclists and think it's a lot of fuss about nothing.

Yes, cycling is nothing like as dangerous as it is commonly perceived to be but has Mr Butcher tried convincing anyone of that?

Finally, it is my understanding that to his credit the late Ronnie Barker was initially uncomfortable about the idea of stammering in the original 'Open All Hours' fearing it was poking fun. It seems that unwise counsels prevailed.

JOHN THOMPSON

Oulton Broad

Was town site excavated?

I was interested to read your story regarding the new drive through burger bar, on the ground behind the old Town Hall.

I pass the site frequently and had noticed the work had stopped. More interesting for me was the fact there was no visible signs of any archaeologists work, or surveys being carried out.

This also applies to three or four more recent building sites in the close proximity, bearing in mind this area holds the key to exactly what Lowestoft would have looked like in the very early years of the town, as records show that half a square mile was where Lowestoft was first born. One would assume when the buildings which have been taken down, were built, which was possibly two hundred years ago, archeological surveys were not in existence.

If what I am implying is true, one would then have to ask the question, is there one rule for the council and another for the public?

I have developed a housing project out of town and was ordered no work could start until a full archeologists survey had been carried out, this order was given to me on every building project I have undertaken, which cost over £100,000.

I know of several builders which have had the same costs and in some cases, much more and these sites were rural.

I don't really have a problem with these surveys as I believe history should be recorded, but if there has been no thorough archeologist survey on these clearly known historical sites, yet demanded on private sites not clearly known for any historical value, something is badly wrong.

GERALD BAXTER

Email

Please repeat fundraiser

We were privileged to go to Somerleyton Hall for the Spring Ball last Saturday.

It was a wonderful occasion walking down an avenue under wisteria covered arches into a sunken garden with a superb harpist playing. Then to be ceremonially piped into dinner led by a Scottish piper.

Even the flowers and favours on the tables were spectacular. Dinner was magnificent, the speaker was wonderful, the dance band was smashing and Nick Rudge competently oversaw the Auction of Promises. The evening raised over £7,000 for Help for Heroes.

Congratulations to Lucy Coote and her merry band of helpers. Please repeat this next year!

STEVIE AND TONY BUBB

Beccles