City centre needs a good clean-up

THE Press headlines of September 15 – Rising tide of city litter causes clash – prompted me to write concerning Goodramgate, closed to traffic on Cycling Sunday. Walking slowly down the road I was shocked at the disgusting state of the drains full of gunge, cigarette stubs, slime and cobwebs. A definite “put off” for my impending roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

If the drains are much the same elsewhere little wonder York gets flooded during excess rainfall. The pavements and shop fronts were little better. A daily 10 minute routine with a bucket of hot water and a wiping cloth would make such a difference.

Plainly speaking, the city centre is a disgrace and fast losing its identity as a beautiful historic city. Too many hotels/restaurants/student accommodation. York urgently needs a facilitated bus station, city centre toilets and pleasant seating areas for citizens and visitors.

Barbara Woodley, Fulford, York

Time to get tough on danger drivers

MOTORISTS who cock a snook at the law by swanning around driving, texting and phoning, etc, putting other people’s lives at high risk deserve draconian measures being taken against them. The birch sounds just about right to me.

Ken Holmes, Cliffe Common, Selby, York

Laurence... or is that Lawrence Sterne?

While of little consequence as this scribe sees it, perchance an amusing distraction for any nomenclators among us.

My frequent dips into The York Book (Blue Bridge, 2002) have belatedly spotted a minor hiccup therein: Laurence Sterne also being referred to as Lawrence.

It matters not a jot, of course, yet it would be gratifying to identify the official version.

Sterne (1713-1768) is credited with writing the first English novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. A reviewer in 2013 describes it as “anti-autobiography, hilarious and impossibly long-winded”.

Hint taken.

Ron Willis, Mt Lawley, Perth, Western Australia

Aid convoys attack beyond belief

How anyone could deliberately bomb lorries with humanitarian aid for desperate families in Syria is beyond comprehension. Whoever committed this war crime should just think, ‘there but for the grace of God go I’. But as usual, not one of the leaders of the countries involved in this horrendous conflict will admit it was them. It is like a game we used to play as children. “I say it was Mr Red sir. What me sir? O no sir, Not I sir, I say it was Mr Grey sir...”

What a pity there is not an empty planet billions of light years away where all these narrow-minded, hate filled-people could be sent never to return and leave the rest of humanity to get on with living without fear.

Maureen Robinson, Broadway, York

European Union losers must move on

DAVE Barker thinks everyone who doesn’t agree with him on the EU referendum is gullible. So 17,000,000 are gullible.

What makes him Father Superior? Every General Election is based on lies, they (Tories) promised a few things, got the (gullible) people’s vote then went back on it. No one was stupid enough to demand a re-run.

What don’t you pro EUs get? You lost, it’s called democracy and if you want a re-run, if you win this time would you object to us (Brexiteers) having a third?

You lost Dave Barker, the sensible vote won, get over it.

Pete Blake, Langley House, Heworth

‘Forgotten battle’ lives up to its name

Yesterday, September 20, was the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Fulford.

I thought it might be headline news, but no. I searched for a mention in The Press but nowhere was it to be found. There was the column ‘On this day September 20’. The consecration of Salisbury Cathedral in 1258 was there, as was the Battle of Alma in 1854, plus Sophia Loren’s birthday, but no mention of the Battle of Fulford.

Yet this could be claimed to have been the battle that changed English history. If the English had not lost the battle with the Vikings at Fulford then Harold would not have had to march his army to York, would not have fought at Stamford Bridge and would not have had to march all the way back again to be defeated at Hastings.

We in Fulford have called it the forgotten battle. We were obviously correct.

Verna Campbell Fulford Park Fulford, York