I RESPOND to the letter printed from Malcolm Lambert (Yorkshire Post, July 19) concerning new rail services to Yorkshire, and can I point out that I am not the managing director of Grand Central as alluded to, but the managing director of Grand Northern – a separate company seeking to introduce new rail services to the wider West Yorkshire –
and that I am not involved in the day-to-day running of Grand Central.

In his letter, Mr Lambert supports Harrogate's quest for new services (which is unsurprising as he lives at Knaresborough) and dismisses those for Bradford (five times the size of Harrogate) as proposed by Grand Northern (not Grand Central) as irrelevant.

I would remind him that Grand Northern's proposed services would also serve Halifax, Brighouse (Huddersfield) and the Five Towns, each of which has a larger population than Harrogate, and each of which has been waiting for services since the proposal was first submitted for evaluation to the Office of Rail Regulation in 2005.

It is not unreasonable to expect those "offered" the chance of new services to want them, but if Malcolm Lambert would care to do some research, he would find that Grand Northern and Grand Central always support new services to new destinations when a case can be proven, from whatever operator, and to dismiss the aspirations of such a large part of West Yorkshire in the manner he does is disappointing.

I acknowledge that colleagues at Grand Central have had a difficult baptism, but the on-going commitment from the team there to restore services has been incredible, and the lessons learned will prove invaluable to all new and aspiring operators, including Grand Northern.


Lack of courtesy shown to cyclists


From: Stephanie Millward, Brodrick Drive, Ilkley.

AS an occasional and nervous cyclist on the roads around Ilkley and the Dales, I was surprised to see a group of cyclists described as the "danger on the roads in the local area".

Although some of the points made in the letter regarding the group of cyclists training on the roads may have been valid – ie a sudden U-turn having been made by one rider – I wonder how many letters pages would be full if we all decided to comment on the examples of poor and reckless driving we all encounter daily as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists (Yorkshire Post, July 16).

I've not come across any examples of car drivers being killed by a bike!

Trying to be greener, more healthy and economical, I've been trying to leave the gas guzzler at home more often and cycle or walk around locally. Cycling through town is often nerve racking. Although most people are considerate, polite and even friendly to cyclists, there are the minority who seem to be personally outraged that a bike should be on a road and pull straight out in front of you or overtake so closely you are forced into the kerb.

I can understand why cyclists train on the roads in a group, it makes them more visible and less likely to be injured. As it states in the Highway Code quoted by Ms Charlesworth, roads are there for all road users – not just motorists. A bit of patience is sometimes required.

We are proud as a nation when our cyclists win numerous Olympic medals or, as recently, stages in the Tour De France, but these achievements couldn't take place without many hours and miles of training on British roads, individually and in groups.

Italian, French and Spanish drivers are not usually considered patient and steady on the roads but they show extreme courtesy to cyclists in comparison with British drivers. There they show respect for the more vulnerable road user, perhaps why cycling is still much more popular in these countries than in Britain.

At a time when fuel costs are soaring and green issues are at the forefront of many minds, I'm quite satisfied with my healthy "mid-life crisis" of conscience, and I'm going to continue to brave the roads. Perhaps Ms Charlesworth would like to join me?


It's all the fault of comprehensives and the EU


From: John H Waller, Harding Close, Rawmarsh, Rotherham.

I FOUND the article by Jayne Dowle (Yorkshire Post, July 17) and the letter by Barrie Frost (July 18) very interesting. I agree with the first two paragraphs of Mr Frost's letter, but blaming the prison system is ludicrous.

That system is a symptom of the problems that started decades ago; not the cause of present-day issues.

Our problems today stem from the Labour idealists, ably assisted by the liberal elite of all parties who gave us the comprehensive system of education and keep us in the EU.

The mixing of both sexes from the age of 11 years-old defied all common sense. It is a well- known fact that hormonal changes effect each sex differently and each to suffer the other's symptoms when at an important time of learning cannot be good. Boys tend to become more aggressive and need discipline, but with girls in class it was inappropriate to administer it, so that was the start of the disappearance of the cane.

Girls, on the other hand, needed a more sympathetic and caringattitude, which the interfering psychologists thought would work with boys.

The resulting lack of discipline enforcement led to the loss of respect between sexes and between teachers and pupils.

Those pupils became parents and brought their families up with the same rules. It continues ad infinitum.

Is there any wonder that there has been such a breakdown in family life? The EU and Human Rights have then added further problems, which make it more and more difficult to correct matters and return to values that made the British people the envy of the world.