Chester Chronicle letters

Nov 28 2003 Daily Post

I VISITED Spencer Derry's latest exhibition, Decade, at Reid Furniture Store, Deva Retail Park, Chester, on the preview night and what a turn-out it was.

I'm not saying the people in the store turned up just to see Spencer's work but there was a lot of interest.

The gallery space is situated on the second floor on one long wall on the left. Spencer's paintings automatically stand out in the big expanse of Reid's store.

The lighting, the sofas and just the atmosphere complement the work of this gifted artist.

The area of the store dedicated to an art gallery is a brilliant idea, especially for Chester with its limited exhibition space.

Decade is a collection of 19 paintings dating back ten years of this artist's life - they are on canvas and reasonably large paintings.

My first thoughts were that the artwork was painted by a group of people - let alone one artist. Spencer seems to have so many different styles, it truly shows a diverse nature of his artistic palette.

I mean, his landscapes of imagination are soulfully his from the mind.

Ok, he takes elements of old civilisations like Easter Island and mixes them up but, really, take, for example, The Realm, a magnificent painting.

Spencer told me that he painted it in only four days, all from his imagination. I couldn't believe the little amount of time he took to paint such a detailed piece.

Spencer explained after March 2004 he would be taking time out to re-evaluate his creative existence and perhaps work on a new project with a new life.

E BRADSHAW

WE are always being exhorted to help the environment and, as gardeners, this we are willing to do by making compost and leaf mould.

But certain things will not rot down and without a shredder we have to rely on the wheelie bins to get rid of our hedge trimmings, etc. Either that, burn it, or take it all to the dump.

Fellow gardeners agree with recent correspondence that the fortnightly emptying of our dustbins should continue into December, as this is the time of year when we have the most garden 'waste' to get rid of.

We are always told that bin liners are not biodegradable. All the more reason not to fill up landfill sites with them instead of turning it all into useable compost.

We are told it all comes down to cost, but as presumably the bin men still have to be employed, how much more would two or three extra collections cost compared to the alternative of helping to fill up the landfill sites?

DOROTHY CARLINE Honorary secretary, Saughall Gardening Club

AFTER a year where fox-hunters have proved how 'reasonable' their demands to continue their sport are - by putting MPs on a hit-list - Tony Blair has decided not to include a Bill banning fox-hunting in the Queen's Speech ('Queen's Speech will not include hunting ban', 18 November.

The crux of the matter is, however, that there are far more humane methods to kill foxes than hunting with dogs, and many farmers would testify to this.

In a recent poll 80% of people considered fox-hunting 'cruel', and only 18% considered it 'humane'.

Just as Parliament seemed to be listening to the clear public opposition to foxhunting, Blair has now taken another two steps back.

What with this news, and protests during this week's state visit, Labour will have a tough job redeeming itself.

CLLR KLAUS ARMSTRONG-BRAUN Flintshire Green Party

I AM strongly in favour of the redevelopment of the Old Port area.

The area has been crying out for a tasteful and imaginative look, and would breathe life into the area and be another attractive backwater for Chester.

H M EVANS Elizabeth Crescent, Chester

REGARDING the article entitled 'Villager's anger at rising tax bill' that appeared in The Chronicle on November 7.

My attention has been drawn to the abovementioned article in your newspaper.

I have real sympathy with the villager featured, who was having difficulty paying the inflation-busting increases in his Council Tax bill. He is not alone.

From the perspective of an executive member of Cheshire County Council, let me explain a few points that are relevant to the dilemma we face.

Some of the points have been made before and Cheshire's members of parliament have been lobbied on them as well.

Recognising the seriousness of the complaint, I will endeavour to be as fair as possible but, as you will see, it is impossible to divorce the promises of central Government from the challenge of paying for those promises.

There are increasing demands for very expensive services from the county council, especially in the areas of care for our older residents and those with special care needs.

Cheshire residents are, on average, living longer, but they do not always stay fit and well. Many are extremely frail and need a lot of care; the intensity of the care is sometimes extreme.

A few years ago they would have been in need of hospital care if they were alive at all. There are also more of them.

Tragic cases such as the Victoria Climbie case have meant a large increase in the responsibilities of the county council. The response to that inquiry alone is likely to cost Cheshire County Council more than £600,000.

There has been an all-party representation to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister pointing out that councils will face an £800m funding gap in the approaching financial year.

Someone will have to pay for this somehow. The increase in NHI contribution was levied last year and had a substantial impact on the council's budget and this continues.

There have been some complicated changes to the amount that the Government contributes as its share of the cost of residential nursing care for elderly people who are unable to pay their own care costs.

These changes have resulted in a loss to the county council of about a million pounds a year. The county council has to pay landfill tax on all the rubbish that it disposes of on behalf of all Cheshire residents.

The county council's pension fund has suffered shortfalls in the same way, as so many have in the private sector. The taxpayer has to make up the difference for public sector employees.

The bad news is that the Government's own Treasury experts expect the increase in Council Tax to average six or seven per cent for the coming year, but also acknowledge that the true inflation rate for the public sector is nearer to 8%.

Clearly, there is a disparity between these figures that will put the squeeze on the services provided by the council.

We will do our best to contain the increase as we promised in our manifesto in 2001.

EVELEIGH MOORE DUTTON Cheshire county councillor

EVERY December we launch an appeal to help two of our local animal rescues, Chester and District Animal Rescue and Saltney Cat Rescue.

Both of these rescues are tirelessly run by a band of dedicated people seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year.

Many pets are given as Christmas presents and after a few weeks, when the puppy is still piddling on the floor and chewing up shoes, or the kitten has clawed a hole in the sofa, the novelty of the cute little newcomer has worn off. Many end up in rescue centres or are turned out on the street, or even abandoned.

This is where you can help. Next time you visit the supermarket or local shop, could you please buy a tin or two of cat or dog food, or maybe some biscuits, bring it down to us here in Saltney and we will pass it all on after Christmas.

Maybe you have recently lost a pet and have a bed, collar or lead or even pet dishes in good condition you would like to donate, we would be really glad of them.

Chester people and those living in the surrounding areas have always been very generous to our appeal each year. Keep up the good work. Some little scrap of fluff is depending on you. Please don't let them down. Many thanks for taking the time to read this.

GAYNOR PEERS Proprietor, Animal Magic, Pet Shop and Dog Grooming Studio, Chester Street, Saltney, Chester

I ASSENT to all that Sheila Holdroyd wrote about our beautiful park last week, but my concern is also for the house.

In 1933 Castle Park house and grounds were bequeathed to the people of Frodsham, but after 70 years custody of various councils, the only facilities on offer are to enter its stately portals to pay rent and rates, etc.

If the proposed renovations go ahead, which involves the knocking down of walls and a café in the dungeons for the young folk, did they mean cellars? But no mention of anything for senior citizens, a forgotten species.

I quote an extract from a letter in a parish magazine of 1938 written by the Rev Dr M W Myres: 'I understand from Mr Dennett that there is room in the district council offices for the storage and, I hope display of, items of local interest. This might prove the beginnings of a small Frodsham museum.'

The Wright family who owned Castle Park were good, kindly, benevolent people. They opened the grounds every Whit Monday and observed how the poor people of Frodsham enjoyed this rural paradise, hence the reason for their generous bequest.

Had they been materialistic they could have sold the estate for a king's ransom, but alas money is the root of all evil and often takes precedence over humanitarian causes.

However, hope is eternal, and I call on all Frodsham residents to rally in the quest for what is our own right and for future generations.

DILYS E O'NEILL Belvedere Close, Frodsham

I NOTED the city councillors are proposing to spend more of our money on traffic-calming for Brook Lane.

I travel this road several times a week and have yet to notice any so-called speeding. In fact, most of the traffic is commuters processing steadily to work.

The possibility of speeding on Brook Lane is almost impossible because of the necessary siting of parked cars belonging to the people who live along the road.

Perhaps the custodians of our money might consider spending less of our money on such harebrained schemes, and thus reducing the stinging Council Tax.

A E HEWITT SYMONDS Flacca Court, Field Lane, Tattenhall