OFTEN I see the gargantuan vehicles designed to maximise and sort domestic rubbish while minimising the physical labour of operatives.

Prompted by the Yesterday Once More feature on the Ethel Ward Playing Fields (“The name of Ethel Ward lives on”, The Press, April 30) I was reminded of a lady from the 1940s, Mrs Shaw.

Whether it was a consequence of the war I do not know, but Mrs Shaw - a grey-haired lady with a bun who lived on a farm or smallholding further out from York than my family home in New Earswick and who was by no means of an Amazonian physique - emptied our dustbin and collected potato peelings by horse and cart.

She wore a padded waistcoat, and hoisted the bins, which in those days were of galvanised metal, on to her shoulder.

Household coal fire ashes, occasionally still hot, formed part of their contents and, if it was windy, sometimes blew into her face.

I remember that my father, who taught at Jo Ro, where Mrs Shaw’s son was a pupil, spoke of her with great respect. Somewhat belatedly I now pay tribute to her.

Alan Appleby,

Stockton Lane, York

The mind boggles over new rich list

LAST Friday’s Press reported how much money some local people have (“Local millionaires soar in new Rich List”, May 11).

Some in Yorkshire have £2 billion, £1.6 billion, £770 million and others have less but are still nicely off thank you.

I know most of these are self-made men and worked hard for this money, but when you think of all the help that kind of money could give to people really in need the mind boggles.

Maureen Robinson,

Broadway, York

NHS should follow BT’s lead on jobs

BT are shedding 13,000 managers, engaging at the same time 6,000 extra engineers.

Shame the NHS doesn’t adopt the same policy, culling layer upon layer of expensive ‘jobsworths’ in favour of employing many more vital medical staff.

Peter Rickaby,

West Park, Selby