I WONDER, does anyone know how many miles of pavement we have in our city? If you do, do you take this into account when you do your grumbling about no gritting?

I am coming up to my 82nd birthday, and I am sure there are many more people my age who can recall the bad winters we used to get. The difference then was we all came out with our shovels and cleaned our own paths. If you had an elderly neighbour you did theirs, too.

The town and shopping areas were done by men who in those days were on the dole; they had to earn it. Now, of course, we have benefits of varying kinds, much of them paid to those who will do their level best to avoid work.

Where they are in this bad weather, one shudders to think, but out on the streets is where they should be, clearing the snow and earning their hand-out.

Without extra manpower, the council cannot cover every inch of pavement.

I can manage my area of pavement, and I have steps and a sloping drive. My grove is approached by a very steep and curving roadway where we used to have a salt box. This was taken away and never returned. Consequently even cars cannot cope with the slope.

Salt boxes seem to be everywhere on level surfaces; not much thought has been put into that, when the roads that need it are refused it. Just a little afterthought – how many of you worked nights and through Christmas?

B Horsley, Raven Grove, Acomb, York.