I HAVE never taken much notice of speculation or rumours, however, I can't say I was surprised to hear the latest about Penshaw Monument.

It was on the fourth green of the fairway at the Ramside golf course when my caddy told me that he had heard from a reliable source that the monument was to be sold to a rich American entrepreneur and to be taken, piece by piece, to Texas.

Good luck to them I say, I have never been a fan. Some say it's a great landmark. I find it boring.

How many times has the reader been in a bus, coach or car and some pimply faced youth or OAP comes out with the phrase: "We are nearly home now, look, there's the monument." It's the same old drivel every time it comes into view.

Just what is it doing there in any case? What purpose does it serve? It doesn't even look safe.

Why do folk want to climb to the top of Penshaw Hill to see it?

The land could be put to much better use. For instance I have seen a lot of the young ones who are always getting a bad press off road biking. This is an offence if they are not using a designated area. The Penshaw hills would be ideal and a great money earner if it was developed properly into a centre.
Mick (The Pen) Brown

Wind-up merchant
ANOTHER letter from Billy Tip I see, this time complaining about a regular to the Letters Page, Mick Brown.

I, along with many others who know Tip, can confirm that in the past Billy has spoken, moaned, complained and also criticised everything that Mick has written about previously.

As for being a wind-up merchant, I can honestly say, hand on heart, you Billy, are close to being top of the tree in that department.

And finally, when it comes to robots and beloved teams, in particular centre halfs, you need to think long and hard, because being a Newcastle United fan isn't all you think it is Billy,
Paul McCarthy,
Percy Terrace South,
Grangetown

Be independent
THE Scots and no doubt the Welsh too want yet another referendum about devolution, although they already have had two such referendums.

Well the English should save them both the bother and expense of holding more referendums, by imposing compulsory independence of Scotland, Wales and Ulster too, complete with their own passports, budgets and everything else too.

In doing that the English will secure our own independence with our own passports and our own budget too, which means that all those billions which are now extracted from England to subsidise the Scots and others can then be re-allocated to improve the living standards of the 10million poorest English as 10million is about the same as the total population of Scotland, Wales and Ulster.

Being British has always been a burden on England and the day we are relieved of that burden will be the dawn of a new golden age.
J Young,
Alexander Terrace,
Sunderland

Shop around
I DECIDED to take my two daughters, aged five and 10, to get their ears pierced in Sunderland city centre. They've been asking for sometime.

I was told to go to Claire's Accessories in The Bridges. I was shocked when I arrived to find the queue out of the door and up the mall. I estimated a 30 to 45-minute wait before we could be seen.

I wasn't sure how much it would cost, averaging a possible £10 fee, each. When I went inside to ask the cost my jaw completely dropped ... £25 a child they were charging!

I was shocked and disgusted at the rate they were charging.
I, of course, was not prepared to give them my cash and took my daughters to another shop, a jewellers near Joplings. It cost just £7.95 and the piercings were done in a professional, friendly and relaxed atmosphere by a lady who eased my daughter's initial worries.

It really does pay to shop around.
Mrs T Blenkiron,
South Hylton,
Sunderland

Porama stars
LAKESIDE Alf states the Porama nightclub changed its name to the Manhattan.

I've just found a programme for the Porama, which was above Jackson the Tailors in High Street West, which states that the first sign of a decline in Sunderland nightlife came with the news that Porama club was attracting as few as 12 people on midweek nights.

Bear in mind that some of the acts then were Gerry and The Pacemakers, Tornadoes, Freddie and The Dreamers, Billy J Kramer, Del Shannon, David and Jonathon and Tip and Eddie Britten. These facts are from the book the 60s Sounds That Made The North East Swing by Mel Kirtley.

Alf's a canny lad but his "Talk Good Sense" debating society have got the onset of Alzheimer's.

I've had a lot of phone calls from lads I played football with at the Hendon Burn. You went down Gray Road past Hendon Board School – a continuation which was Cumberland Terrace. We called it Cumberland Gap. It had a gap in between the houses.

Then for Lakeside Alf's interest – Jimmy Nail was born James Michael Aloysius Bradford, in Benton, Newcastle on March 16, 1954. I think it was a Tuesday. He did appear in a lot of local venues with his band The King Crabs.
William "Thanks for the memory" Tipling

Justice system for criminals
AS the father of a murder victim I totally agree with Neil Atkinson on his stance on the opinions of Mr Michael Robinson from Emmerson's Solicitors.

If this solicitor with 20 years experience feels that the justice system works adequately then I, too, must disagree with him.

His arrogance bemuses me as he doesn't know what we go through as the family of a murder victim.

I only hope that he never goes through what myself and my family have gone through and are still going through, as then he may see a different side to the so-called criminal justice system, as that is what it is "A justice system for the criminal".
John Johnson,
Ryhope,
Sunderland

Fatal accident
WITH reference to "Shipyard tragedy recalled" (Echo, July 23), my great-grandfather died after a fatal accident in Austin's shipyard in 1900.

The account in the Sunderland Times on Jan 25,1900, reads: Yesterday afternoon George Blakelock, 52, a married man living in Howick Place, was following his employment at a shipyard when a beam of timber fell on him striking him down.

He was at once released and taken to the Infirmary where it was found he was suffering from concussion of the head and a fractured skull. He died a few hours later after admission.
Derek Blakelock,
Neale Street,
Sunderland

Ship memorial
WITH reference to your article about the tragedy at the Sunderland shipyard of William Pickersgill on July 22, 1926. I think a memorial to Sunderland's shipyard workers is an excellent idea.

Readers may be aware that the City of Adelaide is the oldest surviving composite clipper ship in the world, older than the Cutty Sark. She was built in Sunderland.

What better memorial could we have to the shipyard workers of Sunderland and our shipbuilding heritage than the City of Adelaide restored to its full glory and moored on the river Wear below the Wearmouth bridge. It would serve as a reminder to future generations.
Laurie Potts,
Sunderland