Your letters - April 24

Sky-high water bills

ANYBODY who has recently bought the government's line about the economy suffering from the threat of deflation will have had cause to think again on receipt of this year's water bill.

Bexhill and the surrounding district have some of the highest water bills in the country, in part due to an anomaly whereby the two services of water supply and wastewater disposal are provided by separate companies, South East Water and Southern Water respectively.

The two government indices of price inflation are the Retal Price Index, which allegedly stands at 0.1 per cent, and the more restricted Consumer Prices Index (CPI) which is running at three per cent.

However, our unmetered water supply charge for the next year is showing a healthy 6.7 per cent increase, while the wastewater charge will increase by 8.9 per cent.

This is on top of inflation-busting price increases last year, and with the threat of more to come in the next five years.

Moreover, we have already long passed a crossover point whereby the wastewater charge is now significantly higher than that for the water supply itself.

One can't help thinking that owning a water company is a licence to print money, holding as it does a natural monopoly over a resource essential to life itself.

There were plenty of jokes at the time of privatisation in the late 1980s that the next thing to be sold-off by the then Conservative government would be fresh air.

A more benign explanation was that privatisation would free the industry from Treasury funding constraints, enabling significant investment and leading to improved water quality.

While there have clearly been some improvements, the downside is that shareholders and investors require a financial return '“ and it has also been the familiar story of bosses giving themselves huge salary increases before cashing-in their share options, and selling out to bigger (usually foreign-owned) companies.

As ever, the long-suffering customer has seen rocketing bills, but unlike other privatised industries such as telephones, gas and electricity, there is no pretence at competition and no option of shopping around for an alternative supplier.

Ofwat, which is meant to have oversight of pricing and investment in the water industry, has consistently shown itself to be an incompetent and incapable regulator when it comes to protecting consumer interests.

Complaints elicit a shrug of the shoulders, blaming the increases on the cost of meeting increasingly stringent EU clean water targets, followed by the throwaway line that "some people may be able to save money with a water meter".

Indeed, it may be that unmetered customers are currently cross-subsidising those on water meters, and these year-on-year increases are to make up for lost revenue resulting from increasing numbers of customers switching to metering.

While there is a strong argument that those using less should pay less, equally nobody should be under the illusion that switching to a water meter will save money in the long term.

Once metering becomes universal, everybody will be clobbered once again, but with greater hardship for those who need to use more water, such as families with young children and older people with special health needs.

Furthermore, if you de-couple the notion that one pays for the water supply rather than for the product itself, in a worst case scenario the ultimate logic of metering is that at time of drought and shortage, the price of water will increase in order to choke off demand.

RICHARD MADGE

College Road

Bexhill on Sea

RIP Marjorie

I WAS saddened to learn of the recent death of Marjorie Campbell (christened Katherine Marjorie). My husband and I attended her funeral Mass on April 9 at St Barnabas Church and were distressed to see that, for a lady who had been involved in so many organisations in the town, so few people attended to pay their respects.

A military style ceremony took place with four Standard Bearers present and the coffin draped with the Union Jack.

The chairman of the Royal British Legion, Bexhill Branch, gave the eulogy.

Of necessity this was very short as the gentleman concerned had known Marjorie for only 10 years.

I, on the other hand, have known and respected Marjorie since 1977 when, with my husband, I joined the Little Common and Bexhill Players (fondly called LCB Players).

There she ruled with an iron hand in a not so very gentle velvet glove! With Ted Unwin, Graham Miller, Len Gulliver, Ada Clutten and Len Upton as her stalwarts, she chaired, directed and took part in the Players' activities.

Sadly her erstwhile thespian colleagues are no longer around and she, I believe, was the last of the "old school".

My introduction to Marjorie and the LCB Players was a pantomine, D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers, in which Marjorie played the part of the Countess, Cardinal Richelieu's sidekick '“ a nasty piece of work! Several years and many productions later she undertook to be Marlene Deitrich on the LCB's Carnival Float "Here Comes Hollywood". I was amazed at what lovely legs she had!

As I mentioned Marjorie was chair of the LCB Players for many years and eventually I was roped in to be on the committee which met at her home in Wickham Avenue.

Oh those meetings '“ will I ever forget? Homemade wine flowed freely (no drinkdriving restrictions then) homemade cakes by the ton and laughs '“ gosh I wish I'd had a tape recorder going as I am sure a play could have been written around what took place at those meetings.

Another voluntary role she undertook was as chairwoman of the Little Common Community Centre where she guided and advised the committee through many difficult times.

Marjorie taught me such a lot about stagecraft, which I try to pass on to the new element of the LCB but I'm afraid time marches on and the younger generation are impatient of old ideals and go their own sweet way.

I am still involved with LCB and sometimes when sorting through costumes or props that were used in past productions I come across something that reminds me of Marjorie and her "gang" and the good old days of LCB.

I only hope that she has been reunited with Ted, Ada and the others in that great theatre in the sky.

GWYNETH LUDKIN

Little Common

Save the valley

WHAT great news about the South Downs being made a National Park that will be preserved and protected from building for future generations.

However, the people of Bexhill and Hastings have their own area of natural beauty right on their doorstep, where they can see wildlife in its natural habitat, enjoy rambling, running and bird-watching, with wonderful views, breathe fresh air and hear only the birds sing.

It is called the Combe Haven Valley where a road costing hundreds of millions of pounds and houses and factories are going to be built, killing all the nature and making Bexhill a suburb of Hastings '“ how sad.

H HOOKHAM

Magdalen Road

St Leonards

Good to be back

I WAS born in Burma, the son of an officer in the Indian Forest Service.

When he died of typhoid fever in 1925, the year of my birth, my mother settled in Bexhill at Instow, 1 Station Road.

I used to go across the road to feed lumps of sugar to the shire horses which hauled the wagons used for delivering parcels which had come by rail and to visit the forge in the old town to watch the horses being shod.

One day in June 1940 a very young soldier came to our door. He said: "I'm sorry, madam, you'll have to move at least 15 miles inland. You see we're expecting a visit from Mr Hitler and we are the reception committee."

The next time I saw Bexhill was from seaward from the bridge of HMS Zanzibar as we sailed past, escorting a coastal convoy in the early months of 1945.

Living now in Yorkshire I have little chance to visit the town of my very happy childhood.

I did have the opportunity a few weeks ago and found, of course, that Instow was no more but that it and its neighbour had been replaced by a handsome block of flats, Baird Court.

My mother had let the house to John Logie Baird, pioneer of television.

He died in the house and my mother had a plaque made and placed on the wall. I do hope one will be put up on the new building.

Next I walked down Sea Road with its well-remembered camber to St Barnabas Church where my mother worshipped in the days of Canon Davies, Father Basil.

On her death my sister and I gave a statue of St Barnabas to the church. A kind lady opened the church for me and I was distressed to find that the church had been the target of arsonists who had caused considerable damage.

The church is still in use though and the statue is still in its position.

It was just across the road from the church that, aged 10 in 1935, I stood on the kerb, waving my union jack as the Duke of York came to open the De la Warr Pavilion. And how splendid it looks now after its facelift.

My brief visit gave me much pleasure as did the copies I bought of Bexhill Voices.

HUGH WALKER

Yorkshire

Thanks for revamp

ON behalf of Glenco Youth Football I would like to thank PC Sarah Ellis, her colleagues from Bexhill Police Station and the teachers and pupils of Bexhill High School for helping to redecorate our changing rooms at St Mary's Lane.

The changing rooms had been vandalised and PC Ellis got the project organised by getting volunteers and donations from trade paints and Dibleys Steel Works for which we are very grateful.

Also a big thank you to Mark Cooper of MJ Cooper Plumbing who provided us with a hose pipe and water for the day.

It was a team effort and showed real community spirit

TRACY ASTON

Secretary, Glenco FC

Clock watching

THE "unique" time will actually happen twice this year '“ if you use the English date format, at five minutes and six seconds after 4am on August 7 this year, the time and date will also be 04:05:06 07/08/09. This will never happen again, until 2109 of course...

ROB AUDIS

Dorset Road

Bexhill

Thanks to all

MAY I thank everyone at Beulah Baptist church for a lovely week of Devotions and Services?

The 'Responses to Easter' by Hilary Malpass, Emma and the youth group and an Elder were all so different, but each better than the one before.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday's services, even the foot washing, were all at a level that spoke to my seven-year-old as much as friends I brought in their 70s.

It was great to see old friends and make new ones.

God bless.

PAUL MINTER

Gunters Lane

Bexhill

20 is plenty

I AM writing to suggest that more be done to slow traffic speed in Bexhill town centre.

As you are aware, Bexhill has one of the highest proportion of elderly residents in the UK.

However, it also has a large number of speeding cars and boy racers from neighbouring areas who speed and race around the town at weekends,day and night. I have witnessed many near-misses for pedestrians, some of whom on are sticks, at Devonshire Road, Sea Road, Endwell Road etc.

Would it not make sense to introduce a 20mph speed limit for Bexhill town centre and seafront? The double parking along West Parade makes crossing difficult for pedestrians. At present there are no speed cameras in Bexhill town centre. Surely some are needed, particularly those that measure average speed of the vehicle over a stretch of road?

The junction of Devonshire Road and Parkhurst Road is a particularly busy and dangerous crossing for pedestrians, as vehicles turn into Parkhurst Road from both directions, and the taxi office in Parkhurst Road generates constant traffic.

A pelican crossing at this junction would be a great help for pedestrians. The junction of Western Road with Devonshire Road is another difficult crossing place. Please consider all of these points.

JAMES KNOTT

Eversfield Court

Wilton Road

Bexhill

Thanks for helping

THE Bexhill Caring Community would like to thank Ann Hall and her helpers from St Augustine's Church for raising a staggering 260 from the coffee morning/ploughman's lunch held on Saturday.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed an excellent lunch and supported all the stalls and the raffle.

Monies raised will go towards the refurbishment of the Community Room at the back of the offices in Sackville Road.

If anyone would like to organise a fundraising event please contact the office on 01424 215116.

MARGARET VON SPEYR

Manager

Bexhill Caring Community

Sackville Road

We work together

WITH reference to your feature about the remnants of the mill at Old Mill Park, I felt I should write with a view to clarifying a few points.

1. As some of your readers will know, this is a Grade II listed building, and alterations must first be approved by the local authority.

In this case, we have been working in close consultation with Rother District Council, at whose suggestion the structural survey was carried out. That indicated that in high winds there was a risk of the centre post falling outside the fence, and we were concerned that it could end up either in our road or the main road (Gunters Lane).

In the circumstances, our request to take down the centre post and quarter bars for safety reasons was authorised by the council.

2. Significant work on the building has been carried out by us in the past, but it has only been in the last two years or so that the extent of decay in the timbers has revealed itself. We continue to work with Rother District Council on proposals for preserving this historic building.

J GOODCHILD

Old Mill Park

It's just fantastic

I ENJOYED Mr Ralph Hill's letter which exposed the broadcasting media's shrinkage of the English descriptive vocabulary, notably the prime example of the word "fantastic" used to describe virtually anything pleasing. (I'd love to hear someone say on telly, "not very fantastic").

Perhaps we might have "cosmic" for a change, as favoured by one Rodney Trotter of happy memory. Meanwhile let's abolish the ubiquitous "absolutely" which is apparently the only permitted expression of approval on the telly. And we could also do without the oft-repeated "wow!" heard on the various property programmes.

Sadly, though, there is about as much chance of this happening as there is of the reappearance of presenters wearing neckties.

KENNETH MARSTON

Cooden

I'm less miserable

I FELT I should write on a positive theme regarding 54 young people, who are all members of The Young Blods, ranging from the age of 10 to 18 years.

They gave an absolutely stunning performance of Les Miserables at Bexhill High School on Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening.

Despite a few technical hitches they all acted with professionalism and their efforts and commitment need to be acknowledged.

My personal response at the end of the show was pure emotion, they had given all they had in voice and acting. It was wonderful!

All this was achieved by the dedication of the team of directors and producers and the unending enthusiasm of the youngsters taking part.

All those involved deserve heartiest congratulations.

So, there are youth in today's society, who, when given the opportunity and encouragement can rise to the occasion, and give those who attended a brilliant afternoon's or evening's entertainment. This experience will have given them all a unique opportunity and a chance of recognition.

I look forward to their next performance with great anticipation.

VIRGINIA COLE

Park Crescent

Hastings

...and so am I!

WE went to see Les Miserables performed by the Young Blods on Saturday night, it was a fantastic show.

We really enjoyed it, having seen the musical in the West End, we did appreciate how well the Young Blods performed.

We send out best wishes to all concerned, we look forward to more shows in the future.

PAT AND BERNARD KEARNES

Ellerslie Lane

More Blods praise

O! Young Blods, wow! You were fantastic. What a superb performance of Les Miserables.

I am extremely privileged, and biased, of course, because my grandchild Hannah Attfield took the part of Madame Thenardier.

But, having said that, the whole production and cast was excellent and professional.

It is unbelieveable that there is so much young talent in Bexhill '“ every single performer on stage was brilliant.

Thank you very much for bringing Les Miserables to us here with such star performers. Please say we can look forward to seeing more of our Young Blods for our future entertainment,

YVONNE LIGHTFOOT-ST JOHN

Nazareth Close