Your Letters - October 5

DLWP benefit?

IT IS arrant nonsense for the De La Warr Pavilion report to claim or even imply that the DLWP alone generates significant economic benefit to the town and locality.

People travel here for a wide variety of reasons - including the unique and largely unspoilt seaside character and the unusual small town environment - both of which the report seems to identify as major problems for the area. In fact people come here for the very things that make Bexhill different to a score of other South Coast resorts, and yet the DLWP and its consultants seem to want to undermine these very things in order to create a more dignified of profitable setting for itself. This may indeed be "Creative" in the economic interests of DLWP but it strikes me as very damaging short-term thinking for the town as a whole.

Two small examples of Bexhill travellers from my own experience: firstly, when I lived North of the Border, the Scottish newspapers used to advertise Bexhill trips for the abundance of charity shops, again identified in the report as a criticism of the town; secondly, a Canadian friend recently travelled here because he wanted to see where Spike Milligan spent much of the war. No interest in the DLWP in either case and yet no doubt these statistics could be presented in another light altogether!

So why does the DLWP feel the need to have such ludicrous claims mounted on its behalf? Possibly because it takes so little in hard cash, costs so much to run and is such a drain on local taxpayers? If I were in their shoes, I would be desperate to muddy the waters, too!

D V BROWNING

Cooden Sea Road.

Serving us

I DO not wish to see my town De La Warr Pavilion driven. Of course, I am proud to have this unique and significant example of Art Deco architecture in Bexhill, but the Pavilion must serve the town, and not the other way round.

I do not want the big boy multiple stores horning in on our unique shopping centre - here we have real butchers, real fishmongers, real greengrocers, and a host of interesting outlets of many varieties; here we have charity shops showing a high standard, thanks to willing help from many local residents, large numbers of them over 80.

Our flagship hotel, the Sackville, was converted to residential many years ago, and most others have followed. As to the Grand, no entrepreneur rushed in with a planning application for a new build hotel when it burned down. So, who needs all these beds? Most people overnighting in Bexhill stay with aunts.

Spend our council tax on the people, not on buildings. Let those who control our spending ask themselves: where are the facilities for the young, what has happened to our once flourishing public transport, where has our super little general hospital (with A & E) gone, where can we go to find a toilet? Above all, tell these wise guys from Brighton not to interfere in our affairs, and get on with the job of consulting your own residents.

DAVID PINK

Millfield Rise.

Cloud 9

I SECOND the views of Jack Seabrook (Letter, September 28) concerning the apparent absence of commercial direction at the De La Warr Pavilion. I suggest Mr. Haydon should descend from Cloud 9 and take advice from the management of the Congress Theatre at Eastbourne, who seem to have established a recipe for commercial viability.

I am surprised at the figure of 576,000 annual visits to the building quoted in the recent study. This figure gives averages of 11,077 per week or 1,582 every day of the year. I find it hard to equate these figures with the small numbers of people I observe within the building each time I pass. I wonder how many of these visits are purely to use the excellent toilet facilities, conspicuously lacking elsewhere in the town centre?

JOHN HODSON

Cooden Sea Road.

Independent?

I BEGAN reading your article about the independent report about the DLWP with considerable interest.

But then I got to paragraph four and saw that the supposedly "independent" report was in fact commissioned by DLWP in conjunction with our battered old friends at SeaScape and H&BEA.

Where is the independence there? If you are prepared to pay the piper enough, you can call any tune you want.

JANE BARTLETT (Mrs)

St John's Road.

Start running

ONE of the oldest and best lessons in business is that when a body or enterprise starts commissioning reports about how effective / profitable / generally wonderful it is: start worrying!

And when the reports etc go on to use flatulent weasel-words like "generate" in conjunction with claims concerning around 50 times what is actually taken across the counter; run as fast as you can!

MIKE MORTIMORE

Eversley Road.

Wonderful!

HASN'T the DLWP got anything better to do with it's time (and our money) than to pay people to say how wonderful it is?

NIGEL SMITH

Terminus Road.

Access denied

I WAS extremely upset. I visited the De La Warr Pavilion on September 29 at 9.43am and was told it didn't open till 10am - no signs on doors stating this. I was confronted by two extremely unhelpful men. I also asked to use the disabled toilet for my husband and was refused - is this the way to treat people?

S LAWRENCE (Mrs)

Crowhurst Lane.

Art loans

WHAT a delightful family wedding picture at the De La Warr (September 22) - a marvellous setting. I'm also pleased for them that the Pavilion laid on "delicious food" for the occasion. Perhaps this is the way forward. (I have had less than happy experiences for guests in the Restaurant and no longer recommend it - but the Coffee Bar is well worth patronising, and the service charming).

As to art exhibitions often referred to, I find the contemporary ones of uneven interest - which indeed have their place - but a wider balance would be of great value, certainly educationally, if the young could become familiar with a broad range. And older supporters would much appreciate it.

For instance the building is of the 1930s, so seems a natural setting for 1930 Arts. Or exhibitions too of East Sussex/S.E. England artists - what a scope: many great 19th century water colourists, to the Bloomsbury Group, Eric Ravillons of Eastbourne, Paul and I think John Nash, Edward Burra of Rye.

The photographer Lee Miller, mural artists, wood engravers ...

Perhaps all the work is too rightly tied up in other collections but if the De La Warr aims to equal the Tate and other national galleries, couldn't something be arranged for loan visits? It would be a huge pleasure and attraction.

BERYL SANDERS

Ninfield Road

Flat rate

THERE'S a simple way to avoid the lunatic bin policy embraced by both Hastings and Rother councils.

Move into a flat. Residents of these still get weekly collections because the councils cannot cope with properties in multiple occupation. Not enough room for all the bins needed. And no way of identifying those putting rubbish into someone else's bin.

Major legal problems there. In my case, the weekly collections will, I am, told, continue for the indefinite future. Probably forever. Life is sweet. And sweet-smelling.

NORMAN CHURCHER

Marina.

Bin watching

I WATCHED an interesting method of rubbish collection this week in Harewood Close. All the bins were standing to attention and all but two had their bags removed manually and were then thrown onto the ground before being picked up by one of the operatives and thrown into the truck by the operatives; the other two were placed on the truck for mechanical emptying. There was one black bin bag by a bin and this was totally ignored by the operative, who passed within about two feet from it!

Is this what is meant by following the letter of the law or is it just cussedness on the part of the waste collectors?

BRENDA LITTLE (Mrs)

Harewood Close.

Waste flyer

I HAVE read with interest the various articles over the past months about maggots in our wheelie bins.

I have always understood that one of the main reasons for weekly collections was due to the life cycle of the common fly ie. seven days.

Was the decision to go to fortnightly collections for our domestic refuse based on new scientific evidence that the fly's life cycle has mutated to a 14-day cycle or was it based on purely economic grounds with no due regard to our health and safety?

F LAING

Via email.

Trolley incident

REGARDING your family who had their vehicle damaged by a shopping trolley in Ravenside, I had the same experience with my last Motability car.

However, as regards the repairing of their car, they are well covered under the Motability scheme, and like me, when I had to have a new door, the insurance company paid for it all apart from the excess, which is about 75.

As so many new cars on the scheme are nil deposit nowadays, I don't feel that their problem is so great.

I had to forego the prestige of having a no claims but I got a better car this year with no hassle, and no deposit to pay.

As for shopping trolleys, they are a law unto themselves, but harmless when returned to their proper place.

S OLIVER (Mrs)

Sidley Street.

PO campaign

WE are once again having to face Post Office closures and all the problems and hardships that would entail.

The Post Office in Windmill Drive which is my area, is a very important part of our community - it is a focal point, meeting place, the hub of our community. We are serviced by a well run Post Office, a well stocked corner shop with friendly and helpful staff.

If this Post Office was to close it would, without a doubt cause hardship to many, especially to the elderly members of our community - who for one reason or another would find it difficult to get into Bexhill for shopping, managing their finances and many more everyday things that we all take for granted.

I for one want this Post Office to remain open so if you feel the same support us by signing the petition.

With the help of our MP, Greg Barker, we have launched a "Save Our Post Office" campaign - we hope you will support us it is important.

BERYL GEBBIE

Old Mill Park.

Sidley need

I HOPE everyone will fill in the form about losing the Post Office. What right has anyone to tell people where to post letters, post parcels or collect pensions? Sidley Post Office , 64 Ninfield Road, is always busy, but finds time to explain any new forms to people. If it is closed it will mean long delays for a bus.

K PYBUS

North Road.

True youth

AS visitors to Bexhill last weekend we were lucky enough to attend a concert in St Michael's Church, Glassenbury Drive, given by the Hastings and Rother Youth Jazz and Blues ensemble.

The youngsters of the ensemble were talented and enthusiastic and gave us an evening to remember.

They played a variety of music with expertise and obvious enjoyment. To reach this standard needs not only talent but hard work and time spent in practice and rehearsal.

In an age when it seems fashionable to knock young people it is good to see youngsters like these proving the critics wrong and showing that the youth of our country are capable and hard working. Well done to them all, and thanks for a most enjoyable evening.

M KING

Pagham

West Sussex.

Gift thanks

ON behalf of the committee and members of the Bexhill branch of the East Sussex Disability Association I would like to express our grateful thanks to Curves and its members for their generous donation. This is greatly appreciated and will be spent on helping our members.

MARY PLUCKNETT

Joint Chairperson

Bexhill Branch

East Sussex Disability Association.

Bus future

THE community bus is a service, run entirely by volunteers. It's a service that many elderly of the town rely on.

I am given to understand that in its early stages the community bus covered the areas where neither Stagecoach nor Renown had a route.

It was a wonderful innovation and people paid to go to town and back. It also kept quite a few cars off the road.

The buses were not getting enough fares so they expanded in to Pebsham.

The free bus pass system has now opened the flood gates for everybody and that has created a problem.

At certain points of the route passengers cannot get on the bus because it's full. The bus is only allowed to carry 16 passengers. To carry more, the driver would require a p.s.v. and he would have to be paid. This would not be viable for the community bus service.

Elderly people who are struggling financially and who rely on that bus are missing out.

Their local post office will close and the usual shop that goes with it will inevitably close, then the elderly are really going to feel the hardship.

To go to town and back by taxi costs between 8 and 10. This sum of money could not even be considered by most elderly people.

Not being able to get the bus makes all appointments at the hospital or other clinics a hit or miss affair. People cannot plan their lives. It makes it all very difficult.

The question remaining is: What are we to do?

There have been two ideas so far and any others gratefully received.

1. Approach the county council and ask if the transport system can be supplemented.

2. Put on two buses at busy times.

The community bus service has a very good reputation. They are patient, kind and understanding to their passengers and try to accommodate them as best they can. They are a very necessary part of our community and I want to see them continue.

FRANCES WINTERBORN

Lib Dem Councillor for Old Town.

Link road

THANK you for your update about the link road - the Observer, September 14 - reporting that the Environment Agency had major concerns about the road. Do these concerns relate solely to the link road or are they also about the associated development of houses and factory sites?

And has the Highways Agency voiced any opinion about the scheme? After all, they are going to have to deal with the increased traffic along Little Common Road and Barnhorn Road.

I believe that a development on the Thames Gateway was recently refused because the project had too many houses and not enough industrial sites and quality jobs, so can we be reminded please how many houses and how many jobs (and what sort) are to be provided by the development north of the town.

The project could have such an impact on Bexhill that your readers need to be kept fully informed even if the politicians want to treat them like mushrooms!

I'm sure a few phone calls from yourself would get answers.

D W WOOLLER

Collington Rise.

Carbon count

Re: Stephen Hardy's letter in Bexhill Observer, September 14

DON'T worry about cutting carbon emissions - don't concern yourself! Very soon, there won't be any to carbon left to burn!

Politicians always refuse to acknowledge the fact, but with world demand for oil already more than THREE BARRELS CONSUMED FOR EVERY ONE PRODUCED, it is plain to see how long it will be before disaster strikes. Five to ten years is the estimate, and oil production worldwide has already peaked - that is, we will NEVER be able to produce more than we do today, although demand is going up and up.

What will happen to the cost of your food when road transport fuel goes sky-high? Especially when half of it comes right across the world.

And bio-ethanol fuel - too little, too late - we do not have enough productive land left in the world to produce one third of that particular fuel that would be needed to replace oil, even if we had the technology ready to build the cars and lorries to do it.

Ooops

JULEY ROSS

Dorset Road South.

Strictly light-hearted

THE return of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1 on October 6 may make some of your readers wish they could try out their old, simpler steps once more.

If so, they shouldn't hesitate, for Bexhill's longest-running weekly ballroom tea-dance badly needs more support. Indeed, use-it-or-lose-it time is fast approaching.

This friendly, light-hearted event takes place from 3pm till 5pm on Wednesdays at St Mary Magdalene Hall, Magdalene Road, and admission is 3 including refreshments. Enquiries: 223889 or 210410.

ALLAN BULA

Wickham Avenue.