Sheffield Supertram

Ben Gilligan, SYPTE director public transport, made it clear the study was about renewing the existing services, identifying what aspects of the existing network would need to be renewed from the trams themselves to the tracks, overhead lines and stops, but seems to be ruling out any extensions to Stocksbridge or Dore or Walkley or Crookes or even to the Chiildren’s Hospital, or even replacing the current tram fleet.

The tram system in Sheffield which opened in 1994 was second to bring back trams to the streets of Sheffield.

Sheffield is stagnating while in other parts of the country they are expanding.

In Manchester the Metrolink opened in 1992 and they’ve replaced their original trams and they’ve expanded across the city and they are still expanding.

In West Midlands which opened in May 1999 they’ve replaced their original trams and recently expanded the tram network to Birmingham New Street Railway Station. They’ve also recently announced expansion plans to the Edgbaston area of Birmingham.

In Croydon, which opened in May 2000, they’ve already bought some additional trams which entered traffic in 2015 and are looking at extensions.

In Nottingham which opened in March 2004 by August 2015 Phase 2 had been opened doubling the size to 20 miles with two extensions and a further 22 new trams to cover those new services and introducing cross-city services on the new extensions.

In Edinburgh which opened in May 2014 they are already looking at expansion plans.

If this £230 million upgrade doesn’t include any expansion plans or replacement for the current tram fleet we in Sheffield will be a laughing stock.

It’s about time that the SYPTE and its stakeholders started to show some fight for the replacement and expansion of the tram system in Sheffield.

Andy Barclay

Raven Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield, S7

We deserve much better

I find it quite staggering, in this day and age, that a major bus operator, in this case First, have no ability to inform fare-paying customers of cancellations at Sheffield bus station.

On the evening of Monday, December 11, I and several other pensioners were left waiting for over 75 minutes, in Sheffield bus station, on one of the coldest nights of the year due to the breakdown of the X5 at 22.32.

There were absolutely no announcements, either verbally or on screen, to inform us of the problem. We eventually caught the 23.32 and arrived home an hour later than planned and extremely cold!

Had I known of the problem earlier I could have caught the 22.44 Kiveton train.

After several exchanges of emails with First I have received an apology and two free tickets but no discussion about their dreadful communication skills.

Surely we deserve better, particularly in view of the recent ticket price rises.

John Bell

Grange Gardens, Todwick, S26

Fantastic service

Birley Ward Councillors would like to congratulate Brackenfield Hall Care Home, Frecheville on the brilliant news that they were given a ‘good’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

It is wonderful that the inspectors recognised the hard work of the manager and staff in providing a fantastic service for the residents.

On a personal note (Coun McGowan) I just want to add that I contacted the home recently to look into the possibility of assisting my dad in having a bath as he is terminally ill.

This isn’t something they would normally offer but they went out of their way to try to accommodate him.

Although we had to cancel the appointment I can not thank them enough for their support as it was above and beyond.

In my personal opinion they should have a rating of ‘outstanding’.

Well done everyone.

Birley Ward Councillors

Karen McGowan, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge

Flu jab

My wife swears by the flu jab, she had one before Christmas and suggested I have one.

I didn’t, but caught flu from her, so that’s all right then!

Jeremy Biggin

Sheffield

It’s a man’s game

There’s nothing quite like relaxing on a late Saturday afternoon with a beer or a cuppa and watching Final Score on the BBC.

But I give it a miss now because it irritates me to listen to reporting coming from around the grounds by at least, on some occasions, as many as six women reporters.

Even in the studio they do punditry. You can see the male pundits ill at ease. They don’t sound right and put it over like the men. I’m sure many more that watch it feel likewise.

I remember several years ago when, I think it was Des Lynham on Match of the Day, and a match was commentated on for the first and only time by a woman. It made headlines next day because everyone had switched off!

The Premier league and other major games sell globally, and the BBC have some very good men commentators who sell the game.

Put a woman behind the microphone and it’s killed it stone dead.

If women want to commentate, report or be a pundit or presenter that’s fine, but in your own sport

It’s a man’s game, that girl linesman didn’t last long, we don’t have them as referees, do we? It’s not a unisex team playing.

So bye bye BBC one and Five Live and hello Radio Sheffield and Andy Giddings and Rob Staton.

Ken Tomlinson

by email