In these days of binge drinking I was surprised to see, on several occasions, an A-board outside a business in Micklegate advertising a two hour long Happy Hour, with the price of a bottle of wine and the words ‘Where the classy get wasted’.

Apart from the dubious invitation to over-indulge, is it really classy nowadays to get wasted? If so, the city centre must be crammed with classy people every weekend. Who knew?

P Witlea,

De Grey place, Bishopthorpe, York

Facts not forecasts on results of Brexit

I was heartened to see AV Martin’s letter urging us to focus on facts (The word ‘facts’ has changed its meaning, September 24). A shame he spent the rest of his letter questioning the head of the Bank of England’s forecasts about Brexit. Forecasts are not facts. Here are a few facts.

1: The Migration Advisory Committee report for government shows EU migrants don’t have a negative impact on the UK economy. The average UK-based migrant from the rest of Europe contributed approximately £2,300 more to UK public finances in 2016/17 than the average UK adult.

2: Growth of the UK economy over the year to March 2018 was 1.2 per cent, while Eurozone growth over that period was 2.5 per cent.

3: The NHS has a chronic workforce shortage. EU staff make up around 5.6 per cent of the workforce in England. Nursing and Midwifery Council data last November revealed a 67 per cent year-on-year increase in EU staff leaving its register – on top of a near-total collapse in new EU registrations.

4: 1,000 Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) manufacturing staff are having their working week reduced from five to three days. JLR’s chief executive warned production might end in the event of a hard Brexit. What does AV Martin say about these facts?

Christian Vassie,

Blake Court,

Wheldrake, York

I missed out on a post-war banana

Reading recently of the first post-war shipload of bananas to arrive from Jamaica (one per child but I was too old) I was reminded that throughout the 1940s we got nothing from Europe but German bombs, Italian prisoners (who helped on the land) and General de Gaulle, an ungrateful and resentful guest. Despite this deprivation I understand that as a nation we were much healthier, physically and mentally, than we are now.

No doubt we could replace more or less everything that we are currently encouraged, or obliged, to obtain from Europe from other sources - probably more cheaply and without the inconvenience of French officials and strikers interfering with channel and tunnel traffic. Hopefully we will be more self reliant and buy cars built in this country; I appreciate that we import parts from the continent but it is amazing how inventive and adaptable our people are when necessary and given the chance.

Smuggling other than people might become as profitable as it was in past centuries. Not wine, though, as we will get that from the New World.

AV Martin,

Westfield Close, Wigginton,York

Where has spirit of Dad’s Army gone?

When this country faced the Nazi invasion a defence force was created and given the name Local Defence Volunteers or LDV for short.

My late father told me this was disparagingly referred to as ‘Look, Duck and Vanish’ so the organisation was retitled the ‘Home Guard’ to avoid the impression of a civilian defence force frightened to take on the enemy.

Fast forward 78 years and we have the sad spectacle of LDV once again: this time official Government advice in the event of a terrorist attack is to ‘Run, Hide and Tell’.

The Dunkirk spirit is no longer welcome in this politically correct new world where we are not even allowed to mention where the threat comes from.

My father is spinning in his grave.

Matthew Laverack,

Lord Mayors Walk, York