PORTISHEAD Players would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone in the town who helped to promote our latest production.

Dad’s Army was performed at the Somerset Hall on four evenings with full houses on three of the evenings.

We appreciate the support of all the retailers who display our posters.

In particular, we would like to thank Taylors Estate Agents, David and Reyna Knight and The Card Shop for additional promotion.

We are also grateful to Trevor Wicketts and Patricia Sterndale for the loan of the jeep that was featured in the coverage.

We receive tremendous support from the town and it is appreciated.

ARNIE STRONG

Portishead Players Publicity Officer

Bristol Road, Portishead

Walkers

I WOULD like to emphasise that only walkers are permitted in Clevedon Court Woods. Camping is not allowed and nor are cycles, mountain bikes or motor cycles.

Horses are permitted on the bridle path in Norton’s Wood Lane leading up to the motorway bridge and Cadbury Camp Lane. They are not permitted in Court Woods because they destroy the paths and spoil the pleasure of the far more numerous walkers.

SIR CHARLES ELTON

Clevedon Court, Tickenham Road, Clevedon

Primary places

I WRITE in reference to an article in your paper stating that a number of children have not been given places in a primary school of their choice.

I know one of the couples involved in this debacle. His family has lived in Portishead for 35 years; her’s since she was born. Both sets of grandparents live here. The father and one grandparent work in the town.

This couple live within sight of Trinity School where they want their son to go – and his younger brother to follow him. Their son went to the playgroup and now attends the pre-school class which ‘feeds’ Trinity School.

They had assumed, somewhat naturally, with all these points in their favour that their son would, almost automatically, go to Trinity School.

Not so. Others - newcomers who moved into the area near the school after them - have been given places.

Their son has been assigned a school in Pill. The couple do not own a car as they are environmentally conscious so any visits to the Pill school are difficult for them.

Similarly one wonders why, with planning for new houses, including starter and family homes, already in the pipe-line, the authority chose to close an excellent primary school on West Hill.

Not then, maybe, but presumably officers are aware of the natural process by which placing a young couple in a reasonably sized home, tends to produce a school age child some five years later with one or more children following on?

All my four children started their education in schools here – in two different primaries - with temporary classrooms in the playground.

They left Gordano School with such arrangements still in place. They were not then – and are not now – noticeably disturbed people.

Neither are any of the thousands of other children who passed through the same system. But they would have been greatly disturbed to be transported to a school in an area they did not know amongst children whom they had never met. As would most, I think.

The emotional upset, trauma and upheaval involved for all these young families and children involved is hugely saddening when, with a bit of foresight and common sense it could have been avoided in the first place and, even now with a bit of effort, dealt with satisfactorily.

DR JUDITH CARR

Slade Road, Portishead

Thanks

IF POSSIBLE I would like the opportunity to post here about the kindness shown to me at the PDSA High Street, Portishead when I felt unwell last Thursday.

I have called in once to twice to thank them personally but not seen the ladies involved on that day.

I was so glad to have a little time to recover myself. I was given a cup of tea and a comfortable seat, allowing me to get back to my car safely. A big thank you again,

MRS GILL MORTON

Conference Avenue, Portishead

Code

YOUR correspondent Adrian Kirby has an interesting interpretation of The Highway Code when he asserts that “The law on roundabouts is that you give way to traffic already on the roundabout”.

My version of The Highway Code states in Section 185: “When reaching the roundabout you should give priority to traffic approaching from your right… watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout”. Slightly different I hope you agree.

Hardly surprising there is confusion when self-proclaimed experts such as Mr Kirby make clearly incorrect statements.

DAVID CAPON

Combe Avenue, Portishead

Confusion

CONFUSION over ‘who to give way to’ at roundabouts is nothing new. I’ve always believed that the ‘give way to the right’ rule to be the correct procedure.

After reading Adrian Kirby’s letter in the Times on May 2 I checked the Highway Code.

Contrary to his letter, nowhere does it state that one should give way to traffic already on the roundabout.

It does, however, state that one should give way to traffic from the right!

I agree with him about zebra crossings though - some drivers’ attitudes towards these are shocking.

To be safe, all drivers should be responsible and read the Highway Code for themselves! Visit www.direct.gov.uk and search highway code.

RICHARD MOORE

Ridge Close, Portishead

Festival

PORTISHEAD Town Football Club continued with its programme of centenary celebrations with a beer festival at the clubhouse on April 27 and 28.

I would like to thank Karen Excell, Lyn Hatfield, Pat Gill, Steve Hallett, Dave Willis and Shaun Hill for their help in running and organising the event.

I would also like to thank all of the sponsors who contributed to the purchase of the beers and ciders, those who provided and put up the racking, and to all the people who came and supported this inaugural event and made it a successful festival.

BRIAN HILL

South Avenue, Portishead

Splendid

I ATTENDED Nailsea Town Council’s Annual Town Meeting on Wednesday night in the beautiful surroundings of the lovingly restored Tithe Barn.

It was a splendid evening, with a very good report from council chair Rod Lees, presentations of grants and the Community Award (to a marvellous and well-deserving couple), and a fascinating talk on the history of the barn from Dr Kate Hann.

All this was followed by free refreshments and some quite delicious cakes.

In light of all this, I have to say that my wife and I were most dismayed at the extremely poor turnout by the residents of the town.

Indeed after subtracting the grant recipients - those who bothered to show up, anyway - and the council members and their spouses, I suspect the audience must have been single-digit sized.

This in a town of some 18,000 residents.

Notices of this meeting have, by law, been widely posted in various places for some time, so ignorance is not an excuse.

I realise the meeting was contending with not only inclement weather but also a prestigious football match but come on people. Where is your sense of civic pride? Or does apathy rule these days? Very disappointed in you.

R WEST

Cheddar Close, Nailsea

Jubilee

OF THE many events to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the most underwhelming of all, has to be our town council’s proposal to rename Port Marine’s Central Park by placing a plaque there.

While I have no objection to our town council marking the occasion of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, I feel that to rename a 10-year-old park, in a relatively secluded part of Portishead, fails to give due prominence to such a momentous occasion as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Far better would be the creation of a Jubilee Garden on the unused North Somerset Council land in front of the Horatio House Library.

I am sure there would have been sufficient support and volunteers, locally, to make it happen.

It only needed a bit more ambition and the necessary political will.

MICHAEL PARKER

Burlington Road, Portishead