EACH weekend, along with many other families, we enjoy visiting Herrington Country Park to see and feed the swans, moorhens, Canada geese and ducks on the lake.
However, every weekend the wildlife are now being terrified and scattered to a small corner of the lake by a bunch of grown men who converge on the park and monopolise the lake with their remote-controlled, diesel-powered, toy boats, which speed around the water in all directions.
On Sunday I witnessed one with a remote control who misdirected his boat into the path of the mallard ducks and hit one terrified defenceless bird.
There was no concern or remorse from the man about this cruel and foolish action.
I have no objection if grown men wish to return to their childhood days and play with small boats, but I feel strongly they should not disturb the natural habitat of wildlife and if they want to pursue their hobby, then proceed to a lake or a river which is uninhabited.
D Jeffries

Our Jack nearly died
TO Mr Derrick Smith, Independent Councillor, Copt Hill Ward, a leaflet was put through my door, stating that you are concerned about the amount of traffic travelling up and down Seaham Road into Market Place, stating that there is going to be a serious accident.
Well what can I say. Was it not serious enough when five-and-a-half years ago two little boys were knocked down by a lorry? One was my grandson Jack who had serious head injuries and was put on a life support machine for days, and still has to go to hospital every year for a check on his head. Is that not serious enough?
If he had died would something have been done then? My husband and I were told by Juliana and Bob Heron there would be chicanes put down within six months of Jack's accident on the Seaham Road, but nothing for fives years, except a 30 mile per hour flashing light, which I might add does not stop traffic tearing up and down the road.
Living in hope.
Mrs Pat Taylor,
Jack's Grandmother,
Houghton

One man, one vote
WHEN con man Tony Blair, a Scottish citizen, became leader of the Labour Party he made it known his New Labour Party were going to be the democratic party of one man one vote. These remarks prove Tony knew nowt about the Labour Party.
The Labour Party is the party of one man one vote.
Tony decided to change Clause Four in the Labour Party, but Tony and his advisers never told the public his OMOV was a throw-away vote.
First the New Labour MPs voted, and scabs like Tony Benn and Dennis Skinner and all the North East MPs voted to break all ties with the Labour Party socialists.
Next the card-holding members of the New Labour Party, these were scab Labour Party local councillors and trade union employees and local lodge officials. The chairman of the New Labour announced the MPs had voted to get rid of Clause Four but he didn't give the results of their vote. He did the same with the card members' vote, but he never gave the result of the six million Labour Party Affiliated Trade Union members. There was no union delegate card vote taken from the floor of the Conference.
Trades union delegates were not allowed into the New Labour Conference. The excuse the chairman gave was the TU delegates were too shy.
So how can it have been legal for a political party like Blair's New Labour Party to vote and get rid of the Labour Party's Clause Four?
P Haswell,
Deneside,
Seaham

Walk away and live
I SOMETIMES sit feeling sorry for myself, not often, just when the melancholy mood takes over, then I read or see on television the murders and violence going on.
The death of a young person hits home worst of all, as I lost a daughter, not to violence of any sort but to cancer. This is bad enough because no parent expects to outlive a child, that's not the order of things. But to lose a child because another supposedly human being has taken his/her life must be heart rending.
Some people say they forgive the perpetrator and feel sorry for them. I don't think I could. I vented my rage on the one I had believed in, God. How could he take my daughter in such a manner? Yet some people find forgiveness to the vile murderers who live their lives to the fullness of their time.
I could not rest knowing they were still among humanity, locked away perhaps, but still having a life. I don't think I could ever get a finalisation of my grief while they lived.
In time I may get the answer from my tormentor, if I ever meet God, because I also lost my wife to the same cancer as my daughter, also my best friend. I ask myself, how could he allow such suffering and still be held divine? Perhaps one day I shall have an answer.
So when all you young people get ready to go out for a good time, leave knives and drugs at home, don't drink in excess, be merry and enjoy life, you only have one. Walk away from an argument that will seem so trivial in the cold light of day. Don't become a victim and most certainly don't become the cause of someone else's suffering.
Colin S Wasey,
Wayman Street,
Sunderland

Is centre just for the privileged few?
AFTER giving the new Aquatic Centre time to iron out the wrinkles since its opening, I feel it is now time to have a rant.
My gripe is not with any members of staff, who have always been pleasant and courteous – just as they were at Newcastle Road Baths, which I attended three times a week until its closure.
At the centre the automatic doors are, invariably, not automatic. If there are more than six people waiting for admission you may face a 10-minute wait. Staff are positioned behind a screen where they and the customers find difficulty in hearing each other. They are also not face-to-face with the customers.
Staff are not just dealing with people wanting to use the facilities, but with people wanting to sign up for courses and wanting Life cards. This takes time.
I now have to pay £3.05 for a swim – up 50p from Newcastle Road.
Inside, some of the cubicles are already out of order and locker key straps unusable as they have been broken or vandalised.
The showers stay hot for a very short time before becoming cold. My wife says the ladies' toilet was flooded on her one and only visit.
My main grudge is the way the pool has been taken over by an "all-of-a-sudden heavily numbered" swimming club which takes up most of the pool – some nights taking up 12 lanes. Where were all these youngsters when Newcastle Road Baths was open?
I used to go for a swim straight from work but this is not now possible because the centre closes at teatime some nights.
Is this facility for the majority of Wearside or just for a privileged few? Newcastle Road baths had its faults but I for one would love to see it reopened.
Bellyflop,
Roker,
Sunderland

We'll go elsewhere
MY MAM took my four-year-old son to the new Aquatic Centre on May 1.
My son loves swimming and was very excited that he was going to the new pool. My son used to go swimming every weekend at Crowtree and was very disappointed when it closed.
So off they went and I gave my mam the £1 entrance charge that we always paid both at Crowtree and Washington. When I collected my mam she informed me she was charged £2.70 for my son. Yes £2.70, what a rip-off! My child is only four and can't even swim yet!
To make matters worse my son locked himself in the toilets and my mam got hold of a passing member of staff, for her to tell mam that she isn't working at the pool and walked off. So my mam had to leave my son to get hold of another member of staff. So you can safely say I was very annoyed that my child was put at risk.
Shame on you City of Sunderland. We won't be making another visit. We shall be going to Temple Park, South Shields.
Annoyed Parent

Crowtree was best
I HAVE swum twice a week at Newcastle Road Baths for over 40 years. I am a strong swimmer and was disappointed when the baths closed but reason prevailed. So instead of 100 lengths at 25 metres it would be 50 at 50 metres.
But what I would miss would be the sauna as the new centre has no sauna. But, not to worry, the Leisure Centre has one, a swim and a sauna go together. However, although the sauna is still open our Leisure Centre pool is now closed.
I hoped that the amount of people in and around Sunderland and some further afield who have visited our pool and who have voiced their concerns would have swayed the decision to close and keep it open.
A U-turn was quickly made when Wellness Centre pensioners (of which I'm one), kicked up about the price of their membership. But no such luck for the Crowtree Leisure Centre.
I visited the new Aquatic Centre with my grandson who was very keen as the publicity had everyone keen to see it.
However, even at nine years old he wasn't impressed. No diving pool! No chute! No waves! So many things about Crowtree added to the fun of swimming for children, however young and adults, however old.
My grandchildren from one-year-old could sit and splash in the water, it was so shallow, sit under the "shower tree", come down the small slides into the water. As they got older they swam under water with the lights underwater. The attendants were very vigilant and best of all, the water was always lovely and warm.
The atmosphere was so happy, it was a fantastic place and I applaud the councillor who has had the guts to stand up and petitioned for the Crowtree centre to be kept open.
Barbary Coaster Nana

Starry start
IN my earlier letter I did not ask how everything began. Many years ago on seeing the first pictures of galaxies the centres appeared to be a destructive rotary interstellar tremendous hurricane or tornado.
It's not possible, nor ever will be to see the profundity, but I am sure there must be two cone-shapes, joined at the tips. The north and south bulges would be a conglomerate of frozen gasses, firedust and other light interstellar material drawn into a dramatically gravitational field, in the penetrating atmosphere electrified particles of electrons bouncing into one another to form nucleii of atoms.
Stars created in the centre are pushed aside by the energy from the light and the heat. The first galaxy would begin in much the same way and space was never the same cold temperature everywhere just slight difference here and there. That's all that's required to start a whirlwind. As one mathematician once said, it started from nothing and it's got most of it left.
Ken Malkin,
Heathway,
Parkside,
Seaham

I RECENTLY was in Ward D41 of The Royal Hospital. I was in for nearly two weeks. I feel compelled to praise Dr O'Connell and all the nursing staff and the domestics for the dedicated care we all received.
The patients who could not feed themselves were fed while the food was still hot and not just fed but comforted at the same time. I feel very fond of the staff that looked after me and want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Mrs Marion Findlay,
Fulwell,
Sunderland

I THANK the paramedics and ambulance crew who were brilliant. Doctors and nurses, tea ladies and cleaners were very helpful, nothing was too much bother. This was on Ward B22. Both my husband and I were in.
Grateful thanks to my daughter Lilian and grandson John for all their help.
Thanks to my sisters, nieces and nephews, friends and neighbours for all inquiries and lovely cards. God bless you all.
Mr and Mrs Adamson,
Grindon,
Sunderland

Thank goodness, at last someone is doing something to keep this beautiful Hylton Castle from falling down. I think it would be great to use it as a heritage trail and what a lovely setting for a wedding. The Friends of Hylton Dene would certainly get my support.
Irene Calvert

I WOULD like to thank the gentleman in the white van who stopped to assist my daughters and friends after her car, a red Fiat Siecento, broke down on the Washington Highway on April 30.
Paul Taylor