SUNDERLAND City Council is working in partnership with the Sunderland Music Forum to develop free live music events this summer.

The first of these took place on July 20 and the feedback that we have received suggests that a wide audience enjoyed the concert. It was always intended that these events would begin on a small scale and evolve, as support for live music in Sunderland grew.

The event on 20th July was the first in a series of three concerts called Sunderland Live, taking place on Cliffe Park at Seaburn this summer. The concerts are to give new and emerging bands the chance to play to a local audience, at a local venue.

Emerging talent in Sunderland needs to be supported and these events are a way of providing a platform to do that.

The largest of the free events will take place on August 25 (Bank Holiday Monday) and feature live music as well as fun activities for families. The event will raise awareness of climate change and feature a cinema marquee screening short films and animations produced in the North East, a family activity marquee and an environmental roadshow.

As with all Sunderland City Council events the aim is to stage activities that are fun, safe and well-organised. Most Sunderland City Council events are free, all are organised in line with strict safety policies, which includes having first-aid provision and adequate toilets. We welcome feedback from those who attend our events as we use it to continually develop the variety of events, both large and small, that we stage every year for Sunderland people and visitors to our city.

Come along and show your support for the music scene in Sunderland and enjoy a fun, free afternoon outdoors.

Coun Mel Speding, Member with Portfolio for Culture and Leisure, Sunderland City Council

Events are success
WITH reference to the letter (July 26), regarding the outdoor event at Cliffe Park on July 20, I'd like to offer our response.

On behalf of the Sunderland Music Forum we are proud to be working with Sunderland City Council on their outdoor summer music programme. The events on July 20 and August 10, along with the forthcoming event on August 25, are a chance for us to work together and provide opportunities for local bands and DJs to perform on an outdoor stage and at such a beautiful site.

We are not trying to compete with neighbouring cities but are doing our own thing. They provide a unique opportunity for local musicans and promoters to be involved in not only performing but in organising such events.

The events are not festivals but are simply live music showcase events and we believe they are a postive start to our relationship and our joint aim to improve the music scene in Sunderland.

The events tried to give as many opportunities as possible to local bands and DJs as well as ensuring a fast-moving, entertaining show. We believe they were a success and we look forward to the next one.
Hopefully the view on preferring to spend money out of our city will not be shared by the residents of Sunderland.
Kenny Sanger,
Sunderland Music Forum

In serious trouble
THE recent by-election result in Glasgow was a real warning sign to Labour that they are now in serious electoral trouble.

An oft-forgotten statistic is that in England for the 2005 General Election, Michael Howard's Conservative Party polled 70,000 more votes than Blair's New Labour project. I think most unbiased political commentators would acknowledge that the Conservatives have made real progress since then, while for Labour it has been a downward slide.

So the conclusion must surely be that in England Labour had a problem and now has a greater one.

Scotland was generally a different tale but not any more. Any visitor, like myself, who has been to the Glasgow East area, must still be pinching themselves that the electorate turned their back on Labour after decades of traditional, if misguided support. If Scots are rejecting their own, it does not bode well for Brown's chances south of the border.

I hope that Brown stays in his post, but the possibility of Harriet Harman leading the Labour Party appeals to any political opponent.

As deputy to the hapless leader, the former "Iron Chancellor," I wonder if her London-based stamp was on the decision to create an all-women Labour shortlist for the Sunderland Central Constituency, which has obviously not gone down too well with the local comrades.
Coun Michael Dixon (Conservative),
St Chad's Ward

I'll keep writing
EX-COUNCILLOR Norman Bohill (Party Handouts, July 17), seems to be getting rather upset because I write regular letters to this page.
I'm sure some in Fulwell and Sunderland are get rather fed up by his ramblings and that of his Tory colleagues too.

Even though we may have opposite political views, I respect his right to air those views in the Echo and hope he respects mine.

I shall continue to write to the Echo and other forums, under my own name, in response to letters, comments and observations, using whatever source I feel is appropriate without fear or hindrance, as is my democratic right. If I get criticised for my views, then that's the price I'm willing to pay.
Bob Price,
Rydal Mount,
Sunderland

Problems parking at Aquatic Centre
THIS is an open letter to Coun Mel Speding, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure who, in the council's brochure Sunrise (March 2008), tells us: "This is the pool we have been waiting for"!

Regarding the Aquatic Centre, may I ask, who in the world sanctioned the building of a multimillion pound swimming and leisure complex and omitted to supply it with a car park?

True, it has five disabled bay blue badge holders spaces for the whole complex, and those five bays have a car park attendant directing traffic from morning until evening!

Look at the facts. The Tyne and Wear Development Corporation (TWDC) spent £3.36million of the taxpayers' money preparing the site for Sunderland AFC, of which £2.8million was to improve the 20-acre site before building began. It also provided £561,000 towards stadium construction. The site itself was sold by the TWDC for £1 because, it claimed, the site had little market value.

Why then does the club deny the use of the nearest and largest car park, even during weekdays, to the taxpayers, while on Sunday during the Ajax match stewards were on duty from 8am to deny us the use of even the Blue car park? Where did this leave the car users for the Aquatic Centre? Many went home. All is not perfect – within or without.
The Stadium of Light and SAFC did very well out of the TWDC using taxpayers' cash. The Stock Exchange listed the company being worth £48million. Surveyors Duncan Heywood valued the stadium at £26.5million. It only cost £15million to build.

In conclusion Sunday, for users of the complex, was a disaster.
Nineteen home matches, August through to May at least, not counting cup or international fixtures, means taxpayers are getting a raw deal from SAFC.

Public money should not have been used to line the pockets of this private company.
MJ McCarthy,
Sunderland

Turned away
I RECENTLY visited the newly-built Sunderland Aquatic Centre. Both my friend and I joined up to their full member package days earlier and arrived on Saturday at 10.45am for our gym induction.

To our amazement as we drove into the Stadium area, we were greeted by yellow jacket-wearing personnel who rather impolitely told us we could not park anywhere near as it was "match day".

We were told to park in one of the residential streets nearby.

Fortunately, my friend had just bought a new Audi and we asked close by Wearside Audi if they would allow us to park there. They did!

Apparently, there is no parking on any match day.

As much as I enjoy walking, being youthful, what if I had children? What if I were disabled and couldn't walk far? There was no provision whatsoever.

Great really isn't it? Told you can't park and to literally go and clog up residential streets, adding to the match day anxiety of existing residents. Do Sunderland Council simply not think at all?

Football fans pay for a season ticket, gym members pay a membership fee. They should have a car park available at all times.
Jason Dunn,
Featherstone Street,
Sunderland

SISTERS
MY sister is someone special to me
My sister is someone to fight with
My sister is someone to cry with
A sister can sometimes understand you better than anyone else can
A sister is there for you, good times and bad
Some sisters are close
Some are far apart
Sometimes you might wish you could change your sister
But if I changed just one thing about my sister it might ruin something
Of course my sister wouldn't be the same
But most important, it might ruin our 'sister relationship'
We are close as we could be
Some people think a sister is just a sister
But my sister is more than that
She will always be my best friend and she will always be very special to me.
Because I couldn't picture what my life would be like without her
You mean more to me than you will ever know, a friendship that grows closer as birthdays come and go!
I'm gonna really miss you when you go to Leeds!
Happy Birthday Jade
Lots of Love
Candice

Kept waiting
AS an Easington District Council taxpayer may I express my anger at them. I had some home items for them to collect and was assured it would be Tuesday, July 29.

Great, get my yard tidied, Tuesday 29 arrived. My dad helped me put everything outside up against my yard wall, the local binmen arrived as they do on a Tuesday, my bin cleaner arrived as they do every Tuesday, but still no council men to clear my wall of the rubbish.

Still waiting in the yard "sunbathing" I waited to hear the arrival of a council van to take away my rubbish.

At four o'clock I was still waiting ... and waiting. I ring the council and was told, oh, they finished at four and yes you did have a slot for July 29 but they just didn't get round to yours.

As a woman living on her own, paying rent and £135 a month to council tax, can someone please tell me what am I paying this for? The first thing I have asked the council to do for me and they couldn't even get that right ... but they sure get the payments right.
P Whelan

Minority view
SUNDERLAND City leaders should encourage more ethnic minority local councilors and planners to work in our changing city if we are to achieve the 2008 dreams and vision.

The city council should have a more diverse group of councillors and staff to bring new ideas. It will surely add a bit more variety to our culture, in turn helping our local economy. New councillors could help the minority taxpayers to be heard and be allowed to get on with their own culture in peace.
Peter Kerr,
Fulwell,
Sunderland

Wise up, judges
HAS our judicial system gone mad? Ruling a pupil can wear a ring because of their religion. Does this mean pupils can wear crosses, St Christophers etc? These are religious items.

School rules are there to protect pupils. If a pupil hits someone with a ring on, it can cause serious injuries.

Come on judges, common sense should prevail. Let schools get on with educating pupils instead of worrying when they are going to be taken to court. Pupils should respect rules, otherwise judges will find they will have a lot more work when these pupils get older.
Respect

I WOULD like to thank my loving family for a good night at Newbottle Workingmen's Club on July 28 where I celebrated my 70th birthday.
I would also like to say thank you to my relations and friends for coming and for the beautiful cards and lovely gifts I received. Many thanks for the donations given instead of buying me a drink, which raised £60 for Sunderland Renal Unit at the hospital
Tommy Burdess

MEMBERS of the Sunderland and South Shields branch of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association would like to thank the people of Sunderland for their wonderful generosity during the collection day on July 19, 2008. A total of £543.20 was raised. We are very grateful to everyone concerned.
Pat Orrell,
Secretary,
Sunderland and South Shields Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

REDBY Childminders' Group thanks everyone who helped to make our recent fund-raising raffle such a success. Kind donations towards our prizes came from Crozier Fisheries, Rosebud Ceramics, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and XL Bowling, amongst other. Thanks to everyone who bought and sold tickets we were able to raise £260. We appreciate your support.
Mrs Carol Cameron,
Chairwoman,
Redby Childminders' Group

IF readers would like to try to help keep local doctors' surgeries open across the United Kingdom, they can now sign a petition on the Prime Minister's website at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/doctorkeep/
You may not get another chance.
FE Shape,
Plymouth

ON Thursday, July 17, friends and I enjoyed an excellent concert at the Customs House, South Shields, Todd Miller and the Joe Loss Orchestra. It was an excellent entertaining event, played to a full house.
Why can't we have this orchestra back playing at the Sunderland Empire? They came once a year for many years to a full house. People must be getting sick of repeat performances of musicals every year. I am sure many people would be thrilled to hear In The Mood again.
Still In The Mood
Middle Herrington,
Sunderland

ARE Ann Gouge of Chilton Moor and Iris Boyd of Go North East, the PR manager, not aware that in old English, and I'm talking AD500, the word worm meant dragon, so it would have legs!!
The Brown Knight,
The Limes,
Sunderland

MY thanks to Ian Laws for a superb piece of sports reporting on the Sunderland v Vitoria match in Portugal. Readers could feel they were actually there, witnessing the triumphs and blunders with him at the pitchside (more blunders than triumphs I'm afraid in this one!), sharing in his dismay/delight (more dismay!). He paints an excellent word picture and I enjoy everything he writes.
Keep up the good work Ian and thanks for keeping us up to date with our beloved footie.
Kate Burley,
Cleadon Meadows,
Cleadon