Snow some appreciation

When you mysteriously find the snow on Bingham Park Crescent cleared,

It’s probably one of the tree campaigners SCC have smeared.

My elderly step-dad doesn’t have an MBE or even know how to #FBPE

He’s one of the hidden, daily heroes you don’t see

He’s the one who gets your grit bin filled – not Amey

So, when Greystones Hall Road creates an ice-rink for cars to skate

It wouldn’t happen quite so often if you rang SCC once in a while, mate.

So, here’s SCC’s number to give us a break : 0114 2734567

When you get through, just dial 2

Then for once, it’s over to you.

by email

Private gritting

At about 10.45 this morning my wife and I were on the 98 bus. As we turned into Fitzwilliam Gate from Charter Row we saw an Amey Lorry full of salt parked outside the National Tyre depot on Fitzwilliam Gate. The driver was hand gritting the forecourt of National Tyres.

We went on the Moor to complete our shopping and when we returned to catch our bus the lorry was still there.

I rang the Streetwise call centre and spoke to an operator, explained what we had seen, and told him that I wanted someone from Amey to contact me. He told me that someone would ring me within the next five working days.

Due to the bad weather that we have had lately I find it unacceptable that Amey can use their resources to grit and clear private forecourts when the majority of side roads have had no attention and are impassible.

I worked for Sheffield Streetforce for 36 years and was responsible for winter maintenance for 15 years. On no account were we allowed to clear or grit private premises. Our priority was always primary and secondary routes. When these were clear the we concentrated on the side roads.

I find it puzzling that the public cannot request for a side road to be gritted but private businesses can have their forecourts cleared.

Edward Fleming

by email

Didn’t you get the memo?

I took my son sledging on the hill at Howbrook and counted three abandoned sledges.

One was broken, but the other two were just left. Whoever took them couldn’t be bothered to take them home again.

I did my bit, brought them home and I will take them to High Green tip once we have all thawed out.

Keep Britain tidy, obviously they didn’t get the memo.

Jayne Grayson

by email

After the beast

It’s a strange foggy damp thawing Sheffield City centre après the Beast from the East.

The pealing of the Cathedral bells is always welcome but sounds a mite unseasonal whereas the Town Hall chime reminds you of the opener from London Films in the 1940s.

The Meadowhell bound are missing something as I probe the scene with my reflective Pret A Manger chicken soup. Tea from the Istanbul Restaurant? No let’s try a croque mademoiselle from Patisserie Valerie and ruminate that even with Brexit this England, this Sheffield is, and will be, more European, indeed world known than ever before.

Sheffield’s heart is here, a bit further up the road from Castlegate than it used to be but still beating and seemingly louder. Time to fit more pieces in the jigsaw and for me to see the Churchill film.

Tomorrow is another day.

Ron Clayton

Sensible viewpoints

Ron Clayton, bless him, I know he means well and that many of his comments are ‘tongue in cheek’ but in Your View, (Star, March 2), he writes about the need for ‘a spirit of compromise’ and says “what a pity our councillors and tree protesters can’t follow suit”.

Well Ron, the tree campaigners are reasonable people and have always been open to consultation and compromise but unfortunately Sheffield City Council are not, as they aren’t prepared to listen to sensible views or the wishes of citizens.

Ron sometimes makes light of the tree felling fiasco and I think I can recall him once saying in response to one of my tree letters that historic buildings cannot be replaced but trees will grow again.

Well, I certainly agree with his views about our city’s historical architecture which cannot be replaced once gone, but neither can a 112-year-old Huntingdon elm tree, the beautiful 150-year-old Vernon oak, or indeed all the healthy trees that have been needlessly felled by the council’s appalling act of environmental vandalism.

Susan Richardson

Westminster Crescent, Lodge Moor, Sheffield, S10

Looking for Ian Gray

Ian Gray’s last known address around 30 years ago was 41 Kendal Rd, Hillsborough, Sheffield.

I worked at the Forests Commission in Melbourne Australia and Ian came over here on a working holiday.

He went back to England and I went for a trip to England to meet his family and we arranged to meet in Blackpool.

There was a bad storm and somehow we missed each other.

Ian had a degree, possibly in engineering and worked for British Steel in Sheffield.

He would be about 57-58.

I found an old letter the other day from Ian and I thought, I wonder what he is doing now?

Any help in tracing him would be greatly appreciated.

Linda Mazur

[email protected]