Wicker arches

Many, but obviously not EB Warris, will know that freight trains cross the bridge most days taking ingot steel from the steelworks at Parkgate to be processed at Stocksbridge Works, and processed steel is taken off site by train too.

The Stocksbridge line has also been the subject of studies that might lead to the line being used for passenger trains or tram-trains to Oughtibridge and Deepcar and further afield.

And of course the line might still form part of a new rail link across the Pennines some time in the future.

Maybe it’s time to prepare to start a ‘Save the Wicker Arches’ campaign to add to the ‘Save the Old Town Hall’ campaign just in case some readers take EB Warris’s letters seriously?

RJB

Greystones

Brendan Prendergast

He was one of those rare types in these socially inclusive days of diversity(!) a character. The type who gives a pub or a community an indentity. An Irishman who had taken the Queen’s Shilling yet who remained his own man and rightly proud of his own nationality and nationhood.

He wore the green of Celtic and the Red and White of Sheffield United and the Green again of Rugby. An easy man to know and love and like and respect as his lady Mavis and his friends in the Hillsborough Hotel will testify to and smile about with a fondness that will remain even though he’s gone. A local radio broadcaster of easy wit who liked a drop of lager and the hard stuff and a tab or two.

His experience under another nation’s colours made him reflect as we all do at a certain age on mortality and perhaps surprisingly for an Irishman cynical about the Pax Americana. Dapper and respectful when suited and booted and amazingly Bohemian when the occasion was appropriate. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, Remembrance Sunday, a meal with Mavis who he spotted and charmed many years ago in the smoke or just a stroll across to his local.Sometimes a little the worse for wear as humans get- we took it in turns to watch him across the road. I never did get round to surreptitiously putting the L plates on his scooter but he would have loved that. Strange but not sad that I’ll not greet him again with ‘Up the Republic’ or ‘God Bless the Taoiseach’ because he wouldn’t want that. Only an affectionate smile about Brendan.

Ron Clayton

Piece of whimsy

May I thank Mr Crosby for engaging with the hypothetical question that I raised recently.

In truth this was more a piece of whimsy than a serious attempt to engage in a Socratic dialogue centered on the significance of a piece of deep fried potato, and I have a nagging suspicion that Mr Crosby had his tongue very firmly in his cheek whilst composing his reply.

With regard to the conundrum that he himself proposes ‘Could a dentist from Pwllheli be considered a gentleman of Welsh extraction?’ might well pass a rainy morning but could I pose one question please?

Does the dentist have to come from Pwllheli? Swansea is so much easier to spell!

Stephen Crowther

Greystones

One of the old relics

After reading EB Warris’s letter on Friday, I think we have found one of the old relics that Stephen Crowther was asking about!

Maureen Keeton

by email

My letters are constructive

In this Saturday’s Star there are four letters from reader’s complaining about EB Warris moaning about the Wicker Arches being demolished.

This is just one of many letters sent in by this person this week.

I say he has too much time on his hands to write about something constructive that would be of interest to other readers, so I’ve got an idea. Why not invite Mr Warris to give his opinion and thoughts by giving him a full page spread, say on Saturday, to get everything off his chest instead of having to read his lettersd about nothing every night.

Yes Mr Warris I am a similar age as yourself, but at least my letters are constructive, have a nice day.

M Durkin

S10

Store car parking

I don’t know about you but I get really angry when I read stories as the one in the Star on Friday, September 29, regarding parking for “mother and baby spaces”.

I among thousand of other spenders get sick and tired of driving into various car parks only to find that these mother and baby spaces are completely empty.

Driving around and further from the store entrance what do we find? The disabled parking area, these spaces are almost certainly filled with huge 4x4s that even my poor wife would find difficulty in entering or leaving.

It’s time these blue badges were more regulated and not just dished out like confetti.

I will continue to park as near as possible for my wife’s sake.

John Vintin

by email

There’s rats everywhere

I’ve just read the story of the rats in the car park at Kentucky Fried Chicken, Broughton Lane, near the Arena .

I can’t believe this is a news item, there are rats everywhere.

Just because they are seen in the Kentucky car park is no reflection on how the outlet runs its business.

I have a good clean house but a rat was in my garden scrounging around the bird feeder.

I’m not a massive fan of KFC, it’s okay, but don’t criticise it because of natural occurrences or things none of us can control.

Liam Touhey

by email

God bless Bobby

It was very nice to see the tribute in The Star to our dearly loved Bobby Knutt.

However, there was one omission. About 30-35 years ago Bobby, a keen United supporter was a friend of Tony Toms, one of the Hillsborough backroom staff and often used to work out there.

During this time someone managed to persuade Bobby to climb onto Tonys shoulders for a photo shoot. The resultant photo showed Bobby and Tony at the kop end of Hillsborough with the South Stand in the background with the Sheffield Wednesday logo clearly displayed.

I think that Bobby saw the joke - eventually - God Bless!

Do you still have the photo?

Derrick Scholey

Sheffield, S8