Firkins at the ready for Skipton tug of war

You may have seen the posters in all of the pubs in Skipton (well, all of those pubs who put them up) advertising the event.

The prize of a barrel of beer (that's meant to be a firkin, not a 32 gallon barrel!) has had to be changed to the equivalent in bottles - 72 pints. This is due to the fact that the winner may not have the facilities to access the ale inside a barrel.

For those who have not seen the posters but would like to enter a team, the basics involve there being eight competitors on a team plus a team coach. The entry fee is £10 per team, and the prizes are 72 pints of ale for the blokes and a case of 12 bottles of wine for the ladies. Yes, I know some of the ladies may prefer to drink beer, but some of the men may prefer to drink wine, so it balances out.

For those wags who intend on interpreting the team coach as a large wheeled vehicle to enter into the contest, you will be sorely disappointed. The coach, in fact, is a person who takes orders from the judge and shouts at his/her team.

If any sports clubs or other organisations would like to enter the contest then entry forms and posters are available by sending a stamped addressed A4 envelope to the following address:

Steve Gower, Tug of War organiser, 6 Wharfedale Close, Skipton.

Vital thoroughfare

SIR - Novo Homes, developers of Belle Vue Mills, have circulated a petition to residents of Brook Street to support permanent closure of Brewery Lane, giving the reasons: "Brook Street and Brewery Lane are no longer being used by through traffic travelling between Gargrave Road and Broughton Road . . . Traffic has been diverted on to a number of alternative routes . . . and there has been no noticeable traffic impact at any one location".

Duh! Traffic is no longer using Brewery Lane because Novo Homes closed it!

As for "no noticeable traffic impact", not even a blind donkey could miss the near-gridlock twice daily in Water Street, Mill Bridge, High Street, Swadford Street and Coach Street because there isn't "a number of alternative routes" from Gargrave Road to Broughton Road - there's only one.

All that standing traffic creates terrible pollution.

Brewery Lane is an essential canal crossing and needs to be one-way north-south. An alternative would be to extend Carleton New Road to link with Gargrave Road. If Novo Homes would help to finance that, I'd support the closure of Brewery Lane.

Barney Long, Brook Street, Skipton.

Pointless

SIR - I owe it to the people of Barnoldswick to tell the truth. After two years on the Town Council I realise there is no need for one!

No need for the people in Barnoldswick to pay £15.35 on top of their council tax, which will probably go up next year.

I have asked several people if they knew how much they were paying for the Town Council and they did not know.

All decisions are made at the West Craven Area Committee.

Another shock was I discovered that representatives from Salterforth, Earby and Kelbrook don't get to vote on any issues that may affect their parishes. I believe West Craven area was set up by the Liberal Democrats as was the Town Council and Lancashire Local Committee. I have faithfully attended all the planning meetings knowing that recommendations we have made can be overruled by the West Craven Area Committee.

I enjoyed being a member of the Town Council Improvements Committee but having to wait for approval from the West Craven Area Committee delayed any wanted improvements.

Having been on the council I have seen the truth and wish to inform the local residents.

Can I also take this opportunity to thank all those who voted for me in the local elections in Barnoldswick.

Barbara McCartan, York Street, Barnoldswick.

Not wanted

SIR - Like most sensible and well balanced people. I abhor the BNP and all it stands for. I was relieved to see that only a mere 200 misguided people from the South Ward voted for what I consider to be the spawn of Satan that dared to stand for election in this district; 200 too many voted for the BNP.

It is interesting to note that the BNP delivered their propaganda when there would be few people around.

Their agent did not have a local address: indeed they used a PO address in York.

At the count on Friday, May 4, the candidate and his agent hid from general view at the back of the hall and did not mix with the other candidates. As the results were declared, the candidate disappeared very quickly. They obviously expected a reaction at all points and, like cowards, cut and ran.

I read the BNP election manifesto for the council elections. On the face of it, the manifesto seemed reasonable and fairly innocent; however any intelligent person will be aware of the past history of the BNP and of their reputation, especially towards the ethnic minorities.

In Skipton we have a multi-racial population. I am acquainted with many members of the ethnic population and have several close friends who are members of the local Muslim community.

These people are just like you or I. All they want out of life is a decent standard of living and peace and quiet and to be left alone to live their lives as they decide. Most of the ethnic community want their children to do well at school.

So they have different religious beliefs, different traditions. Roman Catholics have different views to Anglicans and Methodists and Baptists. Do we treat them with disdain?

We lived through civil unrest in Northern Ireland, where Catholic and Protestant were at each other's throats for over 25 years. Many died in the conflict. Last week we saw old arch enemies sitting side by side determined to make the future work in the Stormont Assembly.

There is no place for the BNP in Skipton. We do not want them creating division in our community.

My advice to the BNP is keep away. Remember this; over 90 per cent of the population of the United Kingdom is of immigrant ancestry. Celts, Vikings, Saxons, Romans, French, Eastern European, Jewish people have all come to our shores over the centuries and have interbred. What makes you so different from a second or third generation Asian?

John Manley, Skipton.

Other priorities

SIR - I am totally in agreement of the proposals (for a green' town) that were reported in the Craven Herald, but I do feel that we should do more to attract people to Settle.

Firstly I think that a more detailed signpost be placed on the island at the approach to Settle from Skipton and at the other entry from the north from the bypass, pointing out just what we have to offer.

The Folly, the Shambles, the Naked Man, the pleasant walk up Castlebergh, our Tuesday markets indoor and outdoor - the latter stall holders have had some cold and rainy weather with which to contend but offer a good selection of reasonably priced goods.

I remember when a comprehensive signpost was erected near to Clapham detailing their attractions, it caused some controversy at the time, but is still there and attracts visitors.

Another attraction is our Town Hall which is a very fine building, but it is badly in need of windowsills and doors painting, which does nothing to enhance it - paint it green if you like but definitely paint it.

Our volunteers have made a very good job of the gardens designated, all thanks go to them, but if we really want to try for "Settle in Bloom", we should have hanging baskets on lamp standards and tubs of flowers in front of shops.

When I look at Fleetwood, it is truly amazing how people really make an effort and every traffic island always has blooms.

Oh dear, I can hear the council saying "More work, more money". I'm sorry, but there it is.

Incidentally, there has only been one letter about the parking fees but a lot of people grumble, they certainly do not attract visitors, two hours does not allow people to visit market and shops and have a meal.

D Gobling, Cragg Hill Road, Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Power costs

SIR - On the subject of wind for the less informed members of Barnoldswick Council, I am one person who realises the cost of electricity.

At 20 I was employed on haulage at Rossington Colliery; that's the job where you generally lose two fingers eventually coupling the coal tubs together.

Some of the men at 45 were burnt out, riddled with silicosis on their lungs. At the loader where we worked was a wall, encasing a first aid box, equipped with syringes and morphine besides the bandages etc. On the stretcher from there it would take half an hour on foot to the pit shaft, after an accident.

By my 30th year I was working at Wakefield, and Leeds power station, Skelton Grange, both coal fired power stations. Of the 20 men I worked with, 15 passed away long before retiring mainly with cancer, from the asbestos which covered the pipe work.

There were other hazards, men who got their feet badly burnt, from red hot coal dust from inside the boiler. It resulted generally in a spell of 12 weeks off work.

At 58 I had a period of work at Sellafield, in Cumbria surrounded by its five miles of contaminated beaches. This is where fathers tried to stop construction by climbing and squatting on 120 feet high cranes, in protest after losing their little ones to leukaemia.

All cameras were banned, no publicity was allowed. Even the paint we used was toxic, and had to be put on like porridge, so it would last 25 years . Conditions were so bad that 12 members of staff, had to be replaced every two weeks.

Yes I know the cost of dirty electricity, and would like to see Weets Hill covered in wind turbines providing clean electricity . I will then be able to switch my electricity on without harming my conscience.

Geoff L Whitehead, Great Croft Close, Barnoldswick.

Thorny issue

SIR - I was surprised to read the letter from Mr Swires of Summerbridge (Craven Herald May 11) in which he states that the National Park Authority "rules" his life.

Nidderdale is a beautiful dale, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and of the highest landscape value, but it is not within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

It is true that the authority does not own very much land in the National Park - nor should it.

We do however own 12 car park and toilet facilities and these are provided to assist visitors who come and enjoy these beautiful Dales and hopefully spend money with the wide range of excellent local businesses in the area.

We have spent a considerable amount of money refurbishing them over the last two years.

The provision of public toilets is always a thorny issue for local authorities and, for this National Park Authority, budget constraints mean that it will always be difficult to balance the amount of resources spent on toilets against other activities.

At the present time the authority has no plans to take on any additional public toilet facilities and is examining its existing facilities to ensure that they provide value for money for the public who, through the Government, fund our work.

Jon Avison, Head of Park Management, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Colvend, Grassington.

Help yourself

SIR - Cancer Prevention Week runs from May 21 to May 27.

I wanted to use this as a chance to let people know that up to 40 per cent of cancers could be prevented simply by having a healthy diet and doing regular physical activity.

I'm sure lots of your readers will have had direct experience of cancer, and anyone who has seen how devastating this disease can be will understand the importance of doing what we can do to prevent it.

Cancer Prevention Week is really important in raising awareness of the link between how we live our lives and our risk of developing cancer. But there's no point being aware of the link if we do not make changes off the back of this awareness.

This is why I'm asking people to make a small but long-term change this Cancer Prevention Week. It could be walking to work instead of getting the bus, or cutting down on red meat and eating more vegetables.

They might seem like fairly small things, but they really can make a big difference to your life.

Dr Greg Martin Science and Research Department Manager World Cancer Research Fund.