Thanks for sharing stories of Great War Sir – On behalf of the cast and crew of the production Tunstill’s Men, we would like to thank the people of Craven for their support and enthusiasm shown during our centenary remembrance performances.

We were overwhelmed by the number of people who came to share our story and their own with us. So many of our audience had members of their families involved in the First World War and had a limited idea of the impact of the Great War, and we hope that we managed to bring to life some of what both the men and women had to endure during this difficult part of Craven’s history.

Certainly as participants in the performance we know that all of us, staff and students alike, have gained knowledge and have experienced some of the emotions of this traumatic time and many of you have told us that during your viewing of the performances you have felt this and have been reminded of how conflicts since then have affected your families.

It is particularly important in this centenary year that the men of Craven who volunteered, not only with Captain Tunstill, but all the other regiments are remembered for their bravery and sacrifice in the call to arms. It has been our privilege to share this performance with you as part of the Craven and the First World War project.

Although this marks the end of our performances, for now, the story continues over the next 4 years via an online blog. Updated daily by Dr Bill Smith, the blog can be found at http://tunstillsmen.blogspot.co.uk/ Thank you to everyone involved in making the performances such a success.

The cast and crew of Tunstill’s Men Back Poppy Appeal Sir - As First Citizen of Craven, I am writing to you to ask the community for their support for this year’s Poppy Appeal.

During the 2013 Poppy Appeal wonderful support was received from the public. In fact, thousands of volunteers raised in excess of £38 million – another all-time record.

The welfare services this year have seen over £1.7 million a week spent on a variety of services; from helping a young widow through an inquest or ensuring that an older veteran can stay independent in their own home.

In this centenary year of the First World War we are ever mindful of the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces and the demands on our services are as important now s they were then.

Please ask your readers to support this year’s Poppy Appeal, which will commence on October 26 and continue until November 11.

Cllr Linda Brockbank Chairman, Craven District Council There is another way Sir - Most people seem to know that Quakers belong to what is called a Peace Church.

So, of course, you would expect us to ask for restraint in bombing the “Islamic State” in Iraq - which is doing its best to provoke us into meeting atrocity with vengeance. And we do - but it is our deeply held belief that all human beings have more in common with each other than what separates us, and that all humanity contains the seed of the divine.

This makes us go further. We are not simply saying: “No”. We are saying: “There is another way”.

Here is a quote from the open letter Quakers in Britain sent to our Prime Minister on September 25: “Britain is a wonderful living example of the potential of multi-faith peace-making. We have many citizens of Iraqi and Syrian origin who are in active dialogue with their families and friends in the region.

“It is those people who tell us how such criminality is created - by desperate people who felt they have lost everything to violence inflicted on them by the West, and that violence is their revenge.

“Desperation has a human face and humanity is what we share “Quakers ask that Parliament discuss whether this is an opportunity for Britain to export peace in a way hitherto unexplored - through our multi-faith and multicultural connections which spread across the world.”

(The full text of this letter can be found at http://www.quaker.org.uk/news).

Our diplomats with experience in the Middle East tell us that we failed to see the causes of the current situation and that we have not in any way tried to talk with the different parties.

Here in Skipton we are convinced that we are not hearing the distress our neighbours in Iraq are experiencing.

It is as if we, as a nation, think that hitting someone who is crying for help will silence the fear and pain that is being expressed.

It is too easy to see the world in black and white. The challenge is to listen to all sides and act with compassion. This requires courage and determination. Let us find that courage together.

Kevin Hogan and George Penaluna Co-clerks, Skipton Quaker Meeting Chilling for charity Sir - On the weekend of October 11 and 12, staff from Superdrug stores across the country will be transforming stores into a ghoulie Halloween paradise, all in the name of raising money for Marie Curie, Superdrug’s official charity partner.

Staff are encouraging people to come along and support the charity by purchasing exclusive Superdrug daffodil pin badges, popping any spare change into collection buckets or buy some special edition Superdrug Marie Curie products such as face wipes, lip balm or an umbrella as well as getting involved in lots of family fun.

To date Superdrug staff and customers have raised a phenomenal £600,000 for Marie Curie, with the aim of raising £750,000 by the end of 2014. The money raised so far is enough to fund 32 Marie Curie nurses for an entire year.

All the money raised will help Marie Curie care for more people living with terminal illness across the UK, as well as providing essential emotional support for loved ones.

Fabian French Director of Fundraising, Marie Curie