Working for HS Direct

Nick and Rob, (directors), have been extremely accommodating. I’m a single parent, and working part time, I’m able to earn three times as much as people who work full-time jobs.

My colleagues are great and we have a lot of fun as well as taking care of our clients and ensuring that we meet service levels.

This is a place that you would not work at to cover the bills over the summer holiday, it is place where you will find a career for life.

The level of training and investment that we are provided with as employees is wonderful and really empowers me to do my best.

This is hands down the best job I’ve ever had!

I am a uni graduate and chose this career path instead, which speaks volumes!

Ria Saleem

by email

Proper tree management

K Hockney wrote a very well-balanced letter about the problems posed in the Norton Lees area by Norway maple trees.

However, the key point was that Amey are not prepared to prune back the tree that is overhanging a private house.

The devil is in the detail of the Streets Ahead Tree Management Strategy, Revision 07 dated Jan 2016. To retain trees there are 14 costed solutions in the contract, including thinner profile kerbs, root examination before making final decision, ramps, flexible paving, removal of displaced kerbs to leave gaps in channel and filling in of pavement cracks.

But then the contract says that trees will not be removed due to disruption of TV signals, falling leaves and shading.

Sheffield now has the worst of all worlds. Amey are chopping down perfectly healthy trees which is the cheapest option, for them, to maintain pavements over 25 years.

The council are not pushing Amey to use the 14 costed solutions. Trees that are overhanging private houses are not being pruned back. The intelligent pruning back of street trees was always something done, historically.

There is a 1967 photograph of the trees on Western Road that illustrates this perfectly.

Norway maple trees, that can live for 250 years, are being needlessly ripped out of the ground because of the lack of a proper tree management scheme.

by email

Cole’s Corner

Now I’ve crossed the bar and become officially old enough I’m fully licensed to be a bona fide grumpy old so and so.

Susan Richardson has been going out on a limb, (pun intended), regarding the tree felling saga so I am glad to see her turn her fire on an issue that I have found inexplicable such as the replacement of the original Cole Brothers with the present unremarkable structure.

I don’t recollect the original Cole Brothers or the Corn Exchange but the Grand Hotel, the Sheffield Motor Company building corner of Trippet Lane/Townhead Street and the Sheffield and Ecclesall Coop on Ecclesall Road have been replaced with soulless structures.

Of course this erosion is now being done on a smaller scale.

Trees can be replaced and renewed, even though we won’t see them, Susan.

Buildings of historic interest and character are coming down in this city that can’t be replaced.

Ron Clayton

Bagenalstown Beauty

I would like to pay tribute to my beautiful wife, Anne, and to thank all the friends and relations, who attended her funeral and wake, giving her the send-off she desired, and deserved.

She was to me, The Bagenalstown Beauty, from County Carlow, Ireland, the trendy mum, to Catrina, Michael and John, and Grannie Annie, to her grandchildren and various friends.

When she knew she didn’t have long to go, she said she wanted to “Go out in a Fandango’’.

She also told me she wanted to attend her own wake, as she was sure she would enjoy it.

Well Anne, I’m sorry, I wasn’t able to make possible your attendance at the wake, but you certainly went out in a Fandango.

Tears were shed by many at the funeral mass at St Vincent’s church, as Father Paddy Walsh allowed the playing of Annie’s Song, by John Denver, the song she passed away to, as I played it for her, in the Northern General, on August 3.

Those tears were replaced by smiles and laughter, as people recalled happy, and funny moments, in her company, during Anne’s wake at Hallam Football Club’s function room, with thanks to Jane and her staff, who helped to make it possible.

From the heavy noise of conversation, as people arrived at the venue, the afternoon progressed in to one of pleasure, helped along by the excellent vocals of Rick Hayman, (who I would heartily recommend to anyone holding a function, such as a birthday, wedding or funeral wake), and also by the playing of many songs that Anne knew and loved so well.

The wake finished as Anne would have wanted, with lively dancing to the Pogues, Streams of Whiskey and Sally MacLennane, concluding with The Parting Glass, as a farewell song, a beautiful ending, for a beautiful woman.

The day, August 11, was our 28th wedding anniversary, one to remember, in more ways than one.

Mike Lawton

Grenoside

Sandwich emporium

I can’t help thinking that the Coles brothers wouldn’t be very pleased that their corner shop in Fargate, Sheffield, which in its day was the bees knees for top quality merchandise, is now to become a sandwich emporium.

After all they’re only selling two slices of bread with a filling in between.

I ask you, how hard can that be?

EB Warris

by email

Nuclear-free zone?

A couple of weeks ago, I met an old shipmate in Portsmouth, he asked me if Sheffield was still a nuclear-free zone. Can anyone enlighten me? If so, has anyone informed North Korea?

Pete Childe

S36

The Special Olympics

The Special Olympics were very special indeed.

We attended several of the free events, which was timed great for the school holidays.

It was brilliant seeing all these people having a go. We all sat cheering them on, lumps in the throat, tissues at the ready. It gave me goosebumps all over.

Well done, you are all heroes.

Jayne Grayson

by email