Thanks to Pennine, it will be much missed
Sir – I have lived in Gargrave for 27 years,
and in that time Pennine buses have transported myself and my two children to school, college, work, hospital appointments, cinema visits, social activities, etc.
Pennine buses have kept running through floods, snow and gales, and tomorrow they are to finish, after 88 years of providing a regular and much-valued service to those of us in society who rely on public transport.
“Use the train,” I hear you say.
What train? Do you know how many trains actually stop at Gargrave? Not a lot.
Those that do, on occasion do not turn up at all, and I do not have the luxury of time to wait about for a delayed train (wrong type of sheep on the line).
Let’s hope that another bus operator will pick up the relinquished standard and carry on.
Thank you, Pennine, and good night. You’ll be greatly missed.
Wendy Milner
South Street
Gargrave 
Penalised once more
Sir – After 80-plus years, we in North Craven are going to lose our familiar orange Pennine buses.
In 80 years these buses have served the public between Skipton and Settle – and many years ago went through to Ingleton and Lancaster.
Why are we losing our bus service? Because Conservative central government has cut back on the subsidy they pay for concessionary fares. they pay about 30 per cent of the cost of these fares.
Lancashire County Council pays about 50 per cent.
However, not all is lost. North Yorkshire County Council is providing 16-seater coaches that will run six times a day, three buses in each direction.
There will be no buses on a Saturday. there has been no Sunday bus service for 20 years.
It is tough if you have a hospital appointment, doctor’s appointment or need to get to and from work.
Hellifield is getting three extra buses compared to Settle and Long Preston. Trade in Settle is bound to suffer, especially on a Tuesday, market day.
In Long Preston we have one shop, and while Julie and Arthur do their best to accommodate the village’s needs, there are goods that they do not sell.
There will be more more cars on the road, causing more pollution.
As usual, we are being penalised for living where we do.
Mrs Judith Mason
Moorfields
Long Preston
Lessons not learned?
Sir – Yesterday I travelled from Skipton to Giggleswick on the Pennine Motor Services 2.45pm departure from Skipton.  The bus was absolutely full, with standing passengers, and over 20 of these people travelled right through to Settle.
Your story on page three of May 8’s Craven Herald claims that the county council is “saving” the Pennine bus services, but looking at the North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) website, there will only be three buses a day to Settle, with a further three to Hellifield; also Carleton and Embsay will have only three buses a day, with five to Horse Close, all replacing the present hourly frequencies. 
As if this isn't bad enough, I have been told by a Pennine driver that the council intends to run these services using sixteen seat minibuses. 
How on earth is such a “service” supposed to cope with demand?  What happens when a party of ramblers wish to travel together  on the Settle service, a not uncommon occurrence.
Two years ago this idea of replacing an hourly bus service with infrequent minibuses caused a great deal of trouble in Bradley, when villagers found it impossible to get on a full minibus.  Has the county council not learned from this shambles?  Apparently not.
It is not surprising that no other operator is prepared to take on these loss making routes on a commercial basis, but surely the way forward is for the county council to put these routes out to tender and accept the lowest subsidy requirement.
This is, after all, the system in force in the rest of Britain.
Don McKeown
Cromwell Street
Skipton

Bad news on bus
Sir –Following the closure of the Pennine bus company, the service between Giggleswick and Skipton will be taken over by NYCC as from May 19. That’s the good news.
  They will also take over responsibility for the school buses. That’s also good news.
  But the bad news – the incomprehensible news – is that the replacement service may well only use a 16-seat minibus and totally ignores the needs of people who need to commute to and from work at the start and end of weekdays.
There won’t even be a service at weekends.
  Anyone needing to get into Settle or Skipton before, say, 8.45am, has no bus service at all on any day of the week. And as for needing to catch a bus home after work... forget it.
   Just as NYCC seems to have forgotten the needs of residents who work rather than go shopping, the fact that no commercial company was interested in taking over Pennine bus routes also speaks volumes for the levels of underfunding created by NYCC's cutback in subsidies which, of course, they will blame on central government.
  The question, of course, is how do many other county councils manage to ensure bus services continue to run as an essential service for working residents as well as OAPs and shoppers?
  Is NYCC’s concept of ‘service’ truly so limited?
Alan Sturgess
Eshton Road
Gargrave
Where are they?
Sir – Where is our MP, Julian Smith, and local Conservative councillors when we need them? 
  They were vociferous in their support for their wealthy ‘Nimby’ friends at Coniston Cold in the battle to stop the construction of three wind turbines at Brightenber Hill         but, where are they when it comes to supporting the people who use the buses?
    D Smith
Church Lane
Gargrave
Turn sound down
Sir – Although I am a supporter of the Waterway Festival, as a local resident I find the volume of music quite unacceptable.
  From 10am until 11pm the bands were playing so loudly that it was impossible to escape the sound, and the music became very intrusive.
  Everyone could still enjoy it if the hours were considerably reduced – 13 hours non-stop is far too much – and the sound considerably decreased.
  After all, it is our bank holiday weekend too.
Sally Sullivan
Bay Horse Yard
Skipton
Well done Skipton
Sir – Having spent the last three days visiting the Waterway Festival, can I just say, well done Skipton.
It was well organised, lots to see, and the weather was kind for the event. Just a shame the bus company could not put on extra bus services for the event, say from 11am until 4pm Sunday and Monday on each journey from Skipton to Keighley return.
The bus was overflowing, with quite a lot of elderly people standing.
I and my wife did notice that the Burnley and Pendle busses were coming and going every 15 minutes, and double-deckers at that. Well done to them.
Mr and Mrs R Chippendale
Sutton-in-Craven
Is this doggerel?
Sir – In the letters on May 1, regarding dogs in church grounds, I once came across this saying: “Blessed are those  who take their dogs elsewhere.”
RA Lambert
Ingleton
New church era
Sir – With regard to the article on the closure of St Joseph's Church in Cross Hills, I personally feel very upset that I am said to be “not listening”.
I feel very sorry that such a thing has to happen but life is full of obstacles which we have to accept and manage the best we can.
I have been a member of this church along with my husband for longer than 35 years and am sure many other parishioners have worshipped there for longer.
Whilst it is sad this church has to close, we are entering a new era in which there are not enough priests for the number of parishes which exist today.
We have fond memories of worshipping at this church, which cannot be taken away from us by anybody.
Father Michael has our full support and prayers, at what must be a most difficult time for him.
Alison K Inglis
Cross Hills
Good for Graham
Sir – A big thank-you to Graham Tarn of Craven District Council (CDC), who took only six weeks from initial complaint to resolving the issue.
In mid-February I reported to Graham the state of the track at the rear of Sunmoor Drive (from the Wilderness to Airedale Avenue).
Late last summer Yorkshire Water was doing some groundworks at the two manhole covers just below the railway bridge. It left the pathway in such a state that the whole width spent weeks under water and it was impossible to navigate without Wellingtons for me and soggy paws for the dog.
It was reported to Yorkshire Water but was not successful in getting the water away.
A report to Graham at CDC took six weeks to resolve and a new flight of stairs on to Airedale Avenue into the bargain. Thank you.
PS: All we need now is for the person/persons who took the four small trees down at the bottom of the “steps” and took the logs away to come back and take away the small stuff they left behind. 
Lynn Smith
Otley Road
Skipton
Brain injury week
Sir – I would like to make your readers aware that it is Action for Brain Injury Week (May 12 -18).
A crucial aim of the campaign is drawing awareness to this silent epidemic and the issues facing people with acquired brain injury.
It is estimated that around 40,000 children in the UK sustain a brain injury each year.
Acquired brain injury can be caused by something such as a road accident, a fall or an illness like meningitis and can have major, long-lasting consequences.
Brain injury is often described as a ‘hidden disability’ because many children show no outward signs and yet struggle to cope with long-term, unseen problems with memory, communication and behaviour.
The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury.
We provide rehabilitation and support to children and families from across the country.
Our Brain Injury Hub website (www.braininjuryhub.co.uk) is a source of practical advice for parents and we also publish a range of books to help explain brain injury to children.
So during Action for Brain Injury Week please share the word about our resources so that we can help more children and young people living in the UK today with the long-term effects of acquired brain injury.
Dalton Leong
Chief Executive
The Children’s Trust
www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk
Fighting killer bug
Sir – Hot on the heels of our awareness week – Vocal About Viral – showing the impact viral meningitis can have on sufferers and their families, come three other weeks, all of which help to demonstrate the devastating after-effects of meningitis.
Action for Brain Injury Week runs from May 12 to 18. Meningitis and septicaemia can cause acquired brain injury – injury to the brain that happens after birth.
The week aims to educate people on the effects of acquired brain injury and increase support for people and their families who live with the condition.
Then, May 18-25 is National Epilepsy Week. A small but significant number of people who contract meningitis will be left with epilepsy.
Children and adolescents who have experienced Meningitis B are six times more likely to develop epilepsy than children who haven’t had the disease.
Finally, it’s Deaf Awareness Week between May 19 and 25.
Hearing loss is the most common after-effect of meningitis.
Despite recent good news on a Meningitis B vaccine, this disease still wrecks lives every day.
At Meningitis Now we’re determined to fight it on all levels – through funding vital vaccine research, raising awareness so people know the signs and symptoms and supporting those struggling with the effects of the disease.
Help us raise awareness of the impact meningitis is having in your community and funds to change for the better the lives of those who have suffered it.
Find out how at www.meningitisnow.org.
Sue Davie, chief executive Meningitis Now
Clerical clanger?
Sir – It seems the Archbishop of Canterbury is at it again. Let me get this straight. Welfare good, Bible bad. Where do they find ’em?
Godfrey Bloom
MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire
Wressle
Selby