Your letters - July 10

Chivalry isn't dead

WE hear so much about younger folk being terrible '“ imagine my surprise when on Saturday morning I was approached by two young gentlemen who asked whether I had far to go, and could they carry my shopping for me.

I was on my way home from Sainsbury's to Wickham Avenue where I usually refresh myself with a cup of tea.

I'm not exactly a damsel in distress but was extremely grateful.

They jokingly said that they 'could do a bunk' which made me laugh. They were really charming and revived my faith in human nature. The news these days is usually full of gloom and doom.

Their parents should be really proud of them. Thank you.

I didn't think to ask their names.

One good piece of news is fine '“ two marvellous '“ congratulations to my two young gentlemen and to our valiant four '“ Bexhill rowers '“ for their epic event in winning their rowing of the Indian Ocean race!

I've been in storms on the high seas in a cargo ship '“ a rowing boat doesn't bear thinking about!

BARBARA THORP

The Glades

Bexhill

Strokes for strokes

WARMEST congratulations to Bexhill's "oarsome foursome" at the end of their amazing race across the Indian Ocean in such a small boat.

On Friday, June 26 at 10.41am they crossed the finishing line in first place '“ despite being rudderless at the end of the race.

Their friends, families, and, most of all the boys themselves must have been so delighted and proud when they crossed the finishing line. And to have won is just amazing.

The members of the Stroke Care Review Board for East Sussex are particularly in their debt as the foursome are raising money for the Stroke Association and this wonderful effort will certainly raise the profile of Stroke Care and will help stroke sufferers everywhere.

Our thanks to them. We applaud their courage.

DR ANGHARAD DAVIES

Chairman Stroke Review East Sussex Health Overview And Scrutiny Committee

Basket background

WE are sorry that our lack of hanging baskets disappointed Miss Thunstrom from Broadstairs (Observer, June 26).

The Bexhill Old Town Preservation Society provides and maintains the baskets in Old Town. However, this year Hanover House was excluded from the scheme.

We would have provided our own, had we known in time.

JENNIFER AND BRIAN MILLER

Hanover House

High Street

Bexhill

MPs' hypocrisy

SO large numbers of MPs and peers, of all political colours, have had their noses so far stuck into the trough we certainly cannot now recognise their faces.

We as tax payers have been asked to pay for duck houses, moat cleaning and property speculation on a grand scale, and more generally repayment for things you or I would clearly see as purely for our own personal requirements.

These are people for whom we voted at the last General Election with at least some degree of respect and trust.

I am sure that there will be more revelations to be made in the area of MPs' expenses, both nationally and locally, but David Cameron quite rightly emphasised ("Top Tories giving up second jobs" '“ BBC website) that the area of MPs' other activities needs the same degree of scrutiny that has just been applied to their expenses.

Let us not forget that these are the people who pontificate on benefit cheats, for doing some work on the side, when they are doing just the same, working on the side by using their positions as MPs or peers to be paid for probably fictitious work.

Andrew Lansley, Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire, admitted with not an ounce of conscience or shame recently on Question Time that he "earned" 24,000 for a non-executive directorship for which he "works" one day per month.

For readers' information the annual average wage last year was 24,908, while that for women alone was only 21,424: but that is another story.

STEPHEN HARDY

High Street

Robertsbridge

Parking woes

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with the letter about pavement parking.

It is happening more and more in residential roads and is an everyday occurrence along Terminus Road just along from the police station!

If the police turn a blind eye to it outside their own premises what chance is there for stopping it elsewhere?

Another problem which is becoming more prevalent is the use of cones by householders to secure a parking space outside their homes.

As the Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator for this area, I informed my contact of this last year and was told that it had been passed to the police for them to deal with. No action was taken.

I do wonder whether it is worth bothering to report such things in the future.

BRENDA MORGAN

Harewood Close

Bexhill

Day would be too long

I AM very concerned that Mr Conn is proposing an increase to the hours students spend in school.

Even independent schools which do have a longer day, have an hour for lunch and a morning and afternoon break.

They also have longer holidays to compensate for the longer day.

Mr Conn has told parents the pupils are to have a morning break plus half an hour for their lunch and nothing in the afternoon.

In my opinion this makes the day far too long, working people have longer breaks than this.

The point he makes about having no more homework as an incentive for parents to agree to his proposal seems to me ridiculous.

Part of learning, and preparing for either work or further education is the ability to work independently at home, this is a skill and will not be learnt if they have to stay at school to do it.

It will do students no favours if they go to college, the teachers there expect them to be able to work independently.

Mr Conn does not have children so perhaps he does not understand that families like to spend time together and if the children get home after 5pm this really will impact on family life.

Those of us with younger children often eat around 5pm and we like to eat together.

TANIA TURNER

St David's Avenue

Bexhill

School day is too long

I WOULD like to register my protest through your pages to the lengthening of school hours at Bexhill High.

Our children need to have a childhood, it's over too soon as it is.

Mr Conn states that the new hours are about having "a far greater degree of flexibility to deliver the curriculum". His words.

Might I suggest that if Mr Conn can't deliver the curriculum efficiently within normal school hours (like most schools in the country manage to) that he seriously asks the question "why not?". I for one don't believe it's anything to do with not enough time.

Maybe Mr Conn should divert his attentions to raising standards of teaching to enable the curriculum to be delivered efficiently and leave our children's valuable childhoods alone.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Firework fallout

WE as caring dog owners regularly walk our dogs along the seafront of a evening due to the heat in the day.

On Thursday July 2 at about 9pm a group of what looked like fully grown adults on a balcony decided that it was the right time to let of a firework display without any thought for our two dogs and another gentleman walking his dog and a group of people on the beach in one of the huts.

A short walk across the road would have stopped the used fireworks from raining down on us (within 5 feet of us).

As a consequence we now have a terrier who is nervous of loud noises.

It was only half-light so these people would have seen us.

They obviously did not care so from us and our two dogs and the other gentleman whose arm was at full stretch with his dog pulling to get away, please enjoy your fireworks but be more considerate of others.

K UNDERHILL

Cornwall Road

Bexhill

Keep me in the loop

IN response to the letter from Mrs Chris Cross, 'Hearing Problems' the Observer, what I would really like is to hear from someone who has had a totally satisfactory hearing loop experience at the DLWP, and would they please tell me exactly which seat they occupied.

I have attended three performances there, each time when booking tickets I have mentioned that I use hearing aids, but I have never detected any trace of the system.

I am sure that it must be there and that it must work, but please which seat do I have to sit in to use it?

TIM ROSNER

Marina

Bexhill

Holy verse

GOD and Mammon

I believe if a man rose from the dead

And said, 'I am the risen Christ' the world would crucify him.

At St Barnabas we have gone one better without waiting for the

Man to arise the parochial Church Council have voted to crucify

this church.

The Passing

It was the ninth hour

When a thin wisp of cloud shrouded the sun.

The last hallowed chimes from the steeple tower

Their mournful dirge had begun.

The dead cannot rise from he past