Your letters - May 21

Look at possiblities

GREG Barker, Bexhill's newly returned Member of Parliament, makes an immediate commitment to work with members of BALI re the Brickworks Landfill issue (MP Sets Out His Priorities - Bexhill Observer May 14).

He feels that "we need to develop greener, less expensive and more responsible ways to dispose of our rubbish".

Neville Wright advised campaigners, back in March, to "follow the money" and look for viable alternatives to the proposed scheme, which prompted my suggestion for a specialist green waste business on the site.

I used the term "Eden Centre" to catch the eye but I actually had something rather more pragmatic in mind than the term perhaps suggests.

Maddy Bernard wrote to express interest but Trevor and Eva Barnes from BALI (perhaps understandably after eight years of struggle) were more doubtful about this "lovely thought" due to the commercial realities that they have faced.

Well... maybe-I'm not sure they saw my original letter (March 26) but I still suggest that the scheme adopted elsewhere, or something along those lines, merits a fuller examination.

It's even possible that a planning inspector might be impressed! Two other related matters have also appeared in the pages of the Observer.

One was about the brickworks site being of archeological interest and I would think that this is compatible with a green scheme.

On April 2, there was a concern that planned expansion of the cemetery could bring it in to close proximity with landfill operations.

Again this might be much less of a problem next to an organic business!

Going further along the lines of an integrated approach and with absolutely no attempt to be inappropriate, I would add that anyone like me, with an interest (urgent or otherwise) in the popular trend towards organic burial would probaly have to look as far as West Sussex for the provision of this service.

Why not offer a consumer choice in Bexhill, next to another aid to the community? I would add that nothing I've said in this respect should be taken as in any way comparing waste reduction with the loss of a valued human life.

My basic point is that, when you adopt a creative mindset, all sorts of possibilities and new solutions might just emerge - you never know.

I'm clearly not talking about the seafront here though!

Dave Walsh

Rotherfield Avenue

Bexhill

Next Wave of vandalism

I SEE the unwanted Next Wave of vandalism has hit the promenade in time to spoil the summer holidays!

How can it not be feasible to rebuild the sundial and well from matching materials? They mean that they cannot be bothered!

I will never, ever vote for a Conservative councillor again or is this just country members (outsiders) having a joke at Bexhill's expense?

Tony ashby

Lychgates Close

Bexhill-on-Sea

Unwelcome culture

Well, what do you know, culture is at last coming to poor old Bexhill.

At least that's what the Sea Change poster on the seafront proclaims. Next to the poster, symbolically lying crushed under the mighty machines from Sea Change, lie the sad remains of the charity wishing well and the children's sundial clock.

Oh, so that's the result of this march of culture, is it?

If culture is what this government quango is gifting to this town - how patronising. Its proposal that this culture will lift our town out of the doldrums is a fatuous illusion.

In any case, having said all this, it is difficult to see why these rather lacklustre seafront changes have anything to do with a quango bringing culture to we plebians.

Surely something much more exciting and novel could have been done with that precious area.

As a postscript, may I remind everyone that the final shelter designs will be produced any time now.

PPS - Don't get me wrong, I am all for popular change.

Jackie Bialeska

Chairman, Vox Pop

Why seafront change?

HAVING just returned from a walk along our lovely seafront I was horrified to see the destruction that is taking place, and at the beginning of the season as well!.

What I don't understand is that in the 2010 official guide to Bexhill, page 13, there are eight quotes from visitors saying how much they like Bexhill the way it is. Why are we changing it?. Maybe we should remember those on the council who voted for the change - when the election comes.

Derek Usher

Church Street

Bexhill

Why there was no UKIP

IN answer to the letter from Barry Jones, (Rye and Battle Observer May 14) I will explain why there was no UK Independence candidate in the Battle/Bexhill constituency.

The ex-Conservative, Stuart Wheeler, had supported UKIP financially in the past and his election team had identified Greg Barker's seat as being vulnerable due to his alleged discrepancies 'flipping' London accommodation. I was asked by UKIP's Nigel Farage to stand down as the candidate for Battle/Bexhill in favour of Stuart, who, as a known national figure and ex-Conservative, might stand a better chance of unseating Mr Barker. Remember that my aim is to bring back full rule of Britain to Westminster and not, as at present, have 70 per cent of our laws made in Brussels. With this aim in mind, as a UKIP candidate, I was unlikely to unseat Mr Barker whereas Stuart had more resources and seemed to have a much better chance. As there was a vacancy for a UKIP candidate in Hastings and Rye it was logical for me to stand there and agree to give Stuart the opportunity to stand as an Independent candidate on the understanding that he would promote UKIP's aims of exiting Britain's membership of the EU. Our branch membership meeting, at which Barry was not present, agreed to this change.

I did not know that Stuart would form a new Trust Party. About a week before polling day our UKIP branch chairman, Mike Pursglove and I sent out a letter to UKIP branch members advising them to vote for Stuart Wheeler who was representing UKIP's interests in the constituency.

In the 2005 elections I retained my deposit for UKIP in the Battle and Bexhill constituency but only obtained 1,397 votes in Hastings and Rye this last election, although still well ahead of the BNP and English Democrats there. With hindsight it would have been better for me to have stayed in Battle/Bexhill and increase the UKIP vote and advise Stuart to stand in another constituency where there was a smaller conservative majority.

I apologies to all UKIP voters locally who have worked so hard over the years and then found no candidate on the ballot paper.

Tony Smith

Ashburnham

Battle

Vote counts for nothing

MEN in my family served in the Armed Forces, and one in the Merchant Navy, in both World Wars, "for democracy". One lost his life, and during my wartime service in the Royal Navy, I came near to doing so many times; but I am still awaiting delivery of the promised article.

What does the term "democracy" mean to the man-in-the-street? Surely it means having a say in the way one is governed?

Now aged 85, I have voted in every General and Local election for 64 years, but have never had my say. Living in safe-seat constituencies, and favouring candidates other than the dominating party, my vote has always been confiscated by the current system. Thus I find myself in company with convicts, lunatics, and peers.

For all the say I have ever had, I might as well have died on the Atlantic and Arctic convoys, or at the invasion beaches, or later in the Pacific. It would seem that my six medals have no significance.

I am still hoping that perhaps just once before I die I may have the pleasure of casting a vote which counts '“ that just for once I may have my say.

I have put this to Gregory Barker. His reply indicates that he is quite happy with this situation. He doesn't care about the likes of me. As far as he is concerned, I am quite welcome to die without ever having cast a vote which counts for anything.

Name and Address Supplied.

...so bring in PR system

SO election is over and Greg Barker has been elected as the MP for Bexhill and Battle. But what has happened to the votes of the 26,440 people in this constituency who didn't vote for him? It's very simple, those votes have been chucked in the "first past the post" bin, just like every other election in this safest of safe seats.

Now that a coalition government has been formed, we must make sure that it keeps its promise of genuine electoral reform. Many alternative voting systems will be discussed but there is only one that will ensure that every vote in Bexhill & Battle is fairly counted, and that system is Proportional Representation.

It's time to end this archaic "first past the post" stitch-up, so that there are no more wasted votes... after centuries of waiting, the people demand fair votes now.

Clive Bishop

Asten Fields

Battle

Strange situation

MARY Varrall thanking people for their votes seems strange. Had she achieved the near impossible and won, the Liberal Democrats would have given those votes to the Conservatives. Will she campaign against Greg Barker next time or just suggest voting Conservative cuts out the middleman?

Paul Minter

135 Dorset Road

Bexhill

Mistaken identity

I CONGRATULATE you on the excellent article in last week's Observer about the Bexhill 100 Festival of Motoring, which took place on West Parade between 1990 and 1992.

Apart, that is, from the fact it is my brother Brian, not me, who was one of the founder members, and that you have also attributed to me words actually written and spoken by him.

Brian also wrote the very intersting and illustrated article about the event, which appears on the discoverbexhill.com website and on which you also commented on in your article.

RON STORKEY

De La Warr Road

Bexhill

Editor's note: We had picked up on this prior to going to press, but thanks to a technical fault, the changes to the copy remained unsaved. We apologise for the error.

Seize the opportunity for a tourist information centre

DESPITE your correspondent Mr Lyons being sadly under-informed on his quest for a certain street on his cross-Channel visit to Chartres two years ago, he was nonethless able to find an information and tourist bureau there, confirming what Sue Burrell had reported in an earlier edition, namely that such offices are spread not only over the whole of France but also western continental Europe, and clearly marked with the distinctive and identical "I" sign.

The canton/county of Switzerland where I mainly reside when not savouring the charms of Bexhill, has a population of around 450,000, and there are 43 such offices, often in small hamlets, indeed any location which has the slightest visitor orientation.

It is, as Ms Burrell correctly complains, truly shocking that Bexhill no longer has one. Has Bexhill, or the elected proportion of Rother District Council which should be concerned with the interests of its largest town, then abandoned all pretentions or aspiration of being a seaside resort, and merely tamely surrendered to being a residential place which happens to be by the sea? Not the impression given by the current - excellent - Town Guide, which behind its inviting cover of a holidaymaker sunning on a beach deckchair as sailing boats glide past upon the ocean wave, proudly trumpets "a great place to visit. If you want a relaxing break, spend time away from it all... we have beach huts for hire, rock pools to explore, seafront cafes to enjoy or simply relax and unwind on the beach and in the sea. At Cooden we even have a hotel right on the beach..."

I have, on my visits to Bexhill, frequently been approached for information on accommodation, attractions or simply directions by passing visitors, vainly seeking an "official" information office. The continuing lack of one is a grave disservice to the many local hoteliers and b&b proprietors, to say nothing of the restaurateurs and traders who all provide good facilities and welcoming attention.

As summer finally approaches, the euro and dollar remain high, volcanos spew and belt-tightening continues, it is evident that more and more people will settle for the "staycation" and plump for a holiday resort in the UK. Bexhill should seize this opportunity and seek to re-open a well sited and indicated information office as soon as possible. It could for starters be sited in the De La Warr Pavilion or at the refurbished railway station, but should ideally be somewhere central on the seafront.

A temporary booth, could be strategically positioned, and if hard economics dictate, operate only in the peak holiday period. And who knows, it could be designed one day to complement the architecture chosen for the new seafront shelters.

MICHAEL GREEN

Marina Arcade

Bexhill

DLWP: Make your voice heard

I WRITE in response to last week's correspondence from Brian Storkey concerning the De La Warr Pavilion.

The BEXTA study conclusions about visitor figures appear to support those of the Tourism South East survey.

To remind readers; the 2009 Tourism South East survey stated that only eight per cent of visitors were spending time in Bexhill specifically to visit the DLWP (that figure is seven lower than in 2006).

It seems apparent to me that the De La Warr Pavilion is failing. In spite of the evidence that the De La Warr Pavilion is not proving to be the great attraction that some people are making it out to be, Rother District Council seem content to continue funding it with more than 500,000 of our money each and every year.

I feel that the following questions require an answer: What has happened to the regular evening entertainment? Why is our Pavilion no longer a magnet for out-of-towners? Why is the restaurant closed in the evenings? The De La Warr Pavilion restaurant could be a delightful evening dining venue - a glance across at the Azur in Hastings should demonstrate that.

Residents: I would encourage you to make your voice heard. What is your viewpoint on how the the De La Warr Pavilion is being managed? Do you believe that we receive value for money? What are your thoughts on its impact, positive or negative, on Bexhill's economy?

Georgina Roberts

Cantelupe Road

Bexhill

Bemused... but Gormley great

FURTHER to the letter published from Brenda Morgan, we have today visited the exhibition and like her were somwhat bemused by the artwork on display.

Some was acceptable but for most it was a case of the children's fairytale The Emperor's New Clothes.

We were unable to understand how such efforts are are classed as art. Maybe the pictures our grandchildren produced at nursery school are worth a fortune!

However the Gormley exhibition on the roof was stunning. Well worth a visit.

You can fool some people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time.

Marilyn Bell

Concorde Close

Bexhill

Local art exhibition at Pavilion

WITH reference to the letter to the editor from Brenda Morgan in the May 14 edition of the Bexhill Observer, I would like to point out that there is an exhibition by a local artists' group in The Studio at the De La Warr Pavilion from Saturday May 29 to Monday May 31.

Local residents do appear to have quite strong feelings over the exhibitions at the De La Warr, (after all a small portion of our rates is paid to the De La Warr consequently some feel let down by the artwork being exhibited which is of a very different 'type' to that which is expected) and we need to find a 'middle ground' to solve these repeated criticisms. I am quite sure those concerned at the De La Warr are acting in good faith and are, we must remember, well informed and experienced in the art world.

Perhaps the committees of art groups within the Bexhill area, the Arts Council and those concerned at the De La Warr could meet to discuss perhaps one month a year being reserved for local art groups.

This could probably save the De La Warr fees involved by the professionals presently exhibiting and also resolve some, hopefully most, of the criticism.

I trust I am not being too controversial and that my comments do not cause any upset.

Leni Turner

The Barnhams

Bexhill-on-Sea

Take mental health seriously

IN Gregory Barker we have a newly re-elected MP. I want to bring to his attention that 10,000 people have signed mental health charity Rethink's petition urging the government to take mental health seriously.

With one in four people experiencing a mental health problem at some point, it should be as high on our list of concerns as cancer. Yet too often mental illness is ignored, and those affected by it continue to endure sub-standard care and treatment.

I know Mr Barker will continue to be a good constituency MP, and will not sit idly on his 12,000 plus majority. He remains a supporter of the Time To Change campaign, the national campaign that aims to tackle stigma and discrimination in mental health. As a mental health service user, I know that Mr Barker has visited care locations in the town and takes a strong interest in wellbeing.

Too many people are still missing out on basic treatment but it doesn't have to be this way. Gregory Barker MP will be aware that he must listen to the people who have elected him and take action to help everyone affected by mental illness in Bexhill and Battle.

Andrew Voyce

Mental health campaigner

Address supplied

Inaccuracies in review

YOU carried a review under the heading Buoyant Pinafore at the De La Warr Pavilion on April 28 by Marrion Wells. This contains inaccuracies. It refers to G&S as having written Cox and Box and also claims that Pinafore was the first full length work.

Both those facts are wrong. Cox and Box was written by Sullivan and Burnand, not Gilbert. The Sorcerer was the first full length G&S work and preceded Pinafore. It also states that no curtain all was taken. My recollection was that indeed they did take a curtain call and performed additional music during it. A skit on Sullivan's The Lost Chord is what I remember. It is not usual to take a curtain call on a curtain call. Performances would be unending otherwise.

Peter Parker

St Kitts

West Parade

Bexhill

Are flats built on graves?

As a prospective tenant of flats in St James's Heights, Bexhill, can anyone confirm or deny the rumour that flat/houses have been built on this site over a former cemetery?

Michael Bland

Leopold Road

Bexhill

Thanks for a lovely afternoon

On Sunday May 10 the Senlac Rotary Club treated 21 of the Association of Carers' members to a delicious and enormous cream tea at Merriments Gardens. The Association of Carers would like to really thank the Rotary Club on behalf of the carers and their cared for that were able to make it to the gardens for a lovely afternoon out, we all had a great time and our bellies were full by the time we left after eating the delicious scones and strawberries and big slice of cream filled Victoria sponge. Thankfully the weather was dry although it was a little chilly but it didn't stop many of the carers and cared for looking around the gardens at all the beautiful flowers and plants. The Association of Carers provides a free weekly respite service to people who look after their loved ones at home across Rother and in Hastings. If you would like a three-hour break from caring each week or if you would like to be one of the volunteers who can help us provide these vital breaks then please call the Association of Carers on 01424 722309 for more information.

Jo Oliver

Association of Carers

Galley Hill good Samaritans

I AM writing to say thank you to the two kind strangers who came to my rescue after my bike accident on Galley Hill on Tuesday May 4 and called the ambulance.

If you would like to contact me, so I can thank you personally, please e-mail [email protected] or ring me on 01424 435358. Despite the concussion, I was able to leave A&E that night and am recovering well, although I still have no memory of the accident itself!

Roger Nuttall

St John Ambulance Homeless Service

Hastings

An idea for the link road

IDEA for the Bexhill to Hastings link road - why not stop all cars from 7am to 9am and 4-6 pm along the A259 betweem Bexhill and Hastings and only have buses and taxis?

One could build bus shelters along the route and a car park at each end and get some bendy buses for the route,

That would save the 100million on the link road, less the cost of shelters and buses.

Laurence Keeley

Fairfield

Herstmonceux