Special day

THE Queen’s Diamond Jubilee day has been declared a ‘holiday’ for the country.

Everyone will be watching the TV, enjoying and celebrating the events of the day. All businesses will be closed. Royal Mail will not deliver the post, the council offices will not be opened.

Why should the guys at the recycling centre, stand there for hours, waiting for customers who will not even think of going there on such a special day.

Isn’t it unfair that they should work on a day when the whole country will be having fun? Aren’t those guys allowed a holiday and fun with their family just like everyone else?

Who, on earth is likely to go to the recycling centre and unload rubbish on Jubilee Day?

Everyone will be too busy enjoying a free day from work and the whole country will be celebrating.

We were extremely surprised to find that the Portishead Recycling Centre was open on Easter Day. No one bothered to go there, as we all assumed it was closed. (It should have been after all, it was Easter Day for everyone).

If the country is enjoying a free day, having a good time, and celebrating; please let everyone with no exception enjoy the day and that includes the considerate and helpful staff of the recycling centre.

Hoping May Gurney re-think its decision.

T ROBYNS

Valley Road, Portishead

Airport noise

I WOULD also have been shocked and disappointed if Wrington’s church bells were really to be ‘silenced’ following a complaint from new residents.

However, your article (Global support to keep church bells chiming on May 9) explains that a noise abatement order served on the church is only to prevent the chimes between 11pm and 7am which does not sound so unreasonable.

I live in Yatton with my bedroom directly under the flightpath of Bristol Airport. I wish it was something as beautiful as the sound of church bells that kept me from sleeping.

My problem is that the noise of aircraft taking off and landing through the early hours wakes me up and then prevents me from hearing the church clock chiming. But I can’t see the council putting a similar noise abatement order on the airport, can you?

FAITH MOULIN

Court Avenue, Yatton

Vulnerable

I WOULD like to say a very big thank you to Stowells, and other businesses that use Yatton High Street, for agreeing to stick to a 20mph limit whilst driving through the village.

I was at the meeting with Yatton Parish Council when the subject of road safety on the B3133 through the village was raised.

As a parent walking my young children to the infant school I was amongst many who felt extremely vulnerable when the large wagons rumbled past, sometimes only inches from my children.

However, I must stress that, whilst the large lorries give the perception of danger, the very real danger is from the thoughtless and careless car drivers. I have seen numerous car drivers mounting the pavement where schoolchildren are walking putting them at great risk. And all to save a few seconds.

Are they so impatient that they cannot give way to traffic and have to push their way through, regardless of the risk to pedestrians?

Evidence of this can be seen by the damaged pavement between Grassmere Road and The Ridge.

We have requested that North Somerset Council install something to deter drivers from mounting the pathway, preferably railings which will give greater protection to pedestrians.

However, they have dismissed our requests, and stated that they are not prepared to even resurface the path and raise the kerb to the standard height until 2013/2014. That means that another year or longer of substandard pavements together with increased risk from traffic on the path.

I am appalled. Surely if the road was in this state it would be attended to quicker than this. North Somerset Council is demonstrating that pedestrians are second-class citizens in Yatton.

S HOOK

Southview Terrace, Yatton