Street trees

These trees are a damn nuisance and keep light out of our houses, damage our pavements and drip damaging sap on our cars, replacing them with young saplings is fantastic and will open up Western Road.

John Vintin

by email

Despising refugees?

Once again it appears my comments have been misunderstood, this time by John Scholey, (Letters, September 29), who asks why I had to bring asylum seekers and refugees into the tree argument.

First let me say I have no problem with genuine people fleeing war-torn countries being given help and certainly do not ‘despise’ them as Mr Scholey seems to think, however, we must accept the fact that not all of these people have peaceful intentions towards our country.

Many of them in areas around our city are often involved in violence and fighting, create mounds of litter on our streets, and one refugee who came to Sheffield was convicted of rape and is serving a prison sentence awaiting deportation.

We must also not forget that the Manchester bomber’s family were given sanctuary in our country.

Is this how they show their gratitude and repay Great Britain’s generosity and hospitality in giving them shelter?

My point is that it is hardly fair for our council to allocate large sums of money to people who have not contributed anything to this country, (and most probably never will), but at the same time say, as Council Leader Julie Dore did, that it is ‘unaffordable’ to spend £350,000 on necessary work to retain the Western Road memorial trees planted in honour of WW1 soldiers who gave their lives for their country.

Apparently those descending on our shores from foreign countries are given more respect than our own war dead and no one can tell me this is right.

My comments were not ‘cheap and nasty’ but sadly reflected the reality of the situation.

Susan Richardson

Lodge Moor, Sheffield, S10

Stupid degrees

So now we have Mrs May trying to get the student votes by dropping the tuition fees and bothering the amount to £25,000 that can be earnt before anything is paid back.

Now I would like some one to explain WHY when I was claiming JSA and applied for a loan from the social fund, say for example £400 I had to start paying it back straight away?

It may have only been £3 or £4 but out of just over £100 this was a lot to repay, so I would say to Mrs May and her cronies as soon as the students have finished at university a small token payment be taken or else the amount of these loans is never going to be paid.

Perhaps cutting back on some of the stupid degrees some universities offer which are of no use to anybody except the person taking them and then one wonders HOW... the following are real studies that some university’s offer

David Beckham studies, leading to what career earning over £25,000.

Parapsychology, ghost studies, perhaps working for Ghost busters.

Surfing? What can be said about this, wave good by to any grant repayment.

Queer Music, I kid you not.

Star Trek studies, the mind boggles what career this leads to, perhaps a Klingon interpreter.

And last but not least of courses where the student should pay there own fees and not get ANY grants.

This last one is magic.

The Science of Harry Potter, mind you the student was Lord Voldemort.

May the force be with you.

Dave M

by email

The good neighbour

Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours as the theme tune goes, I have moved 12 times in 20 years and have had brilliant neighbours and some that were not so.

It’s great to get on with the folks on the road but some people just dont want to neighbour.

I have great ones near me sadly my direct neighbours are not so good, apparently I am very strange for bringing there dustbin in when it had been emptied and why would I take a parcel in for them when they were out?

Probably because I was trying to be that good neighbours, some people don’t want to know who lives next door, that’s fine but it’s nicer when everyone gets on.

Jayne Grayson

by email

Working successfully

Last Thursday, (the eve of the Equinox, so we were on the cusp of six long months of longer nights than days), my penniless friend on the Langsett Estate turned on the strip light in her kitchen and it promptly failed. She managed to find a wind-up torch for the evening. The kitchen light had lasted about eight years since the ‘Decent Homes’ scheme was carried out.

On the Friday morning, she contacted the council department and the helpful lady said she would get priority as a tenant with disabilities, but there was every chance the busy workforce wouldn’t be able to attend before Monday. Imagine her pleasant surprise, then, when a worker arrived about four hours later and quickly had the replacement light in place and working.

This just shows that council services can work successfully, without privatisation, staff cuts and other Tory “tricks of the trade”.

Simon Rawlins

Foxhill, Sheffield

Back in the day

Just looking back, forgive me for that, but two turns who made my day - back in the day - were Joe Cocker and Frank White. Joe has left us with memories of the Black Swan and Centre spot but where is Frank, the greatest guitarist that ever walked?

He made Brian May and Eric Clapton look like buskers .

George Newton-Cutts

by email

City centre

The tower cranes are gathering at the new build in the city centre, we will soon have all the fantastic shops we need, no need to go to Ikea or Meadowhall or even Crystal Peaks, it’s all here in the magnificent city that goes by the name of Sheffield in South Yorkshire.

EB Warris

by email

Still good people

To the shopper in Broomhill Morrisons and the Morrisons and post office staff - thank you, thank you, thank you. I thought my envelope of Euros was lost. There are still nice and good people in Sheffield. Besides you handing it in, the shop staff took them to the post office, who knew as soon as I went in again they were mine. So again, many thanks to everyone. A generous charity donation has been made,

Sheffield