Crown jewels

Sell the Crown Jewels to the highest bidder. Instead of them being locked away we could all benefit . Offers over £ 100 billion to start it off.

Any offers?

EB Warris

Sheffield, S14

A common mistake

Jayne Grayson states in her letter about the new Prince, “Don’t forget us taxpayers are supporting this new Prince and his luxury life-style”. She makes the common mistake about the income of the Royal Family coming from “US”.

The new monarch owns the Crown lands from the time of his/her reign. These lands cannot be sold so George III made an arrangement with the Government that they would take over the running of the Crown Lands and give him a yearly amount to cover the expenses he incurred in being King. This arrangement has continued and every monarch hands over the Crown Lands to the Government, in return for which they receive a yearly amount of money to pay the expenses incurred. This is now known as the civil list.

In 2016/17, the income raised was £328.8 million which went straight to the Government and they gave the Queen a relatively small amount back for the running of the family and the palaces.

In the last 10 years £2.6 billion pounds have been sent to the Treasury, a heck of a lot more than would be paid in income tax if these lands were run privately.

So “us” taxpayers are NOT supporting this new Prince and his luxury life-style.

Margaret Maxfield

Ecclesall Road South, Sheffield, S11

Sacrificial lamb

Amber Rudd resigns but let’s not forget who’s to blame for all this. Theresa May, Rudd is just the sacrificial lamb.

Jayne Grayson

Sheffield, S35

General cemetery

Proposed work at The General Cemetery, (Star April 27), has been given the go-ahead which a council report says will enable the site to be removed from Historic England’s Heritage At Risk register and that the scheme will “make the park more accessible and welcoming for users” and “enhance the site’s attractiveness as an open space feature”.

However, objectors against the proposals, including conservation groups, say the work will lead to the “unnecessary felling of perfectly healthy trees”.

The report also says that the work will “protect the natural habitat and enhance biodiversity” but I fail to see how the felling of 54 trees can possibly do that or have “ecological benefits throughout the site” as claimed.

Apparently not content with destroying our street trees Sheffield City Council are now going to wield the axe in one of the city’s most historic places which can only have a detrimental impact on the cemetery which contains listed buildings and structures of architectural importance.

All the beautiful mature trees are a significant part of the cemetery’s character and losing such a large number of trees is totally unacceptable.

Susan Richardson

Westminster Crescent, Lodge Moor, Sheffield, S10

When rock ’n’ roll began

Dear Alan Parkin, I can certainly remember the music of the 60s and of the 50s when rock and roll began. It was said by many people, mostly of our age to be honest, that there was no good music after those decades.

I can, though, remember my parents saying that about the music of the 40s and denouncing the Stones and Beatles as ‘long-haired yobs. However my father did take me to the Essoldo at Sheffield Lane Top in 1956 to see Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock. My mother didn’t speak to him for ages! On the subject of the fun recordings I was a great fan of Hello Mother, Hello Father released in 1963 by Alan Sherman. They certainly don’t make them like that any more.

Monica Makes Sense

Sheffield, S6

Tree poem

Between a rock and a hard place

“We’re between a rock and a hard place” the Sheffield police wail

But that’s not as bad as being handcuffed and ending up in jail

When the tree felling starts again as it will because that’s the deal

Will the police try not to handle campaigners with such enthusiastic zeal

Don’t treat them quite so roughly just because you know you can

Or frisk them down before putting them in the waiting police van

They are not seasoned criminals and haven’t done anything that bad

In fact some of them are frail or old enough to be your Mum and Dad

Remember they’re feeling frustrated, heartbroken and extremely sad

Yes, you have to do your duty, of this we Sheffielders are quite aware

But sometimes you are also morally responsible for a duty of care

So do let’s have some sensible ‘discretion’ if you’re trying to be fair

Many campaigners are of ‘good character’ and ‘decent people’, you agree

The same could be said of the police except for some elements maybe

So after this latest ‘felling pause’ I hope there will be a better deal

Or I believe that this ever widening rift may never properly heal

J Wilcockson

Sheffield, S11

How it works

I’ll keep it short and sweet today, in reply to Veronica Hardstaff, (Letters, April 26, 2018).

Giving us a lecture on how democracy works in the EU.

No denial of our cash paid and received backthen.

As for politicians lying, tell us something new, politicians always lie, ask ‘Bliar’.

Anyway, good to hear her last sentence “that’s how democracy works”. Does it only work in the EU? If not why doesn’t she ensure it works here in the UK by accepting the democratic will of the 1.7 million people who voted to get us out of this corrupt club?

Terry Palmer

Hoyland, Barnsley, S74