Readers’ Letters: Has Harrogate lost interest in Halloween?

Readers’ Letters is a free weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

This week, we’ve collated some of our readers’ letters and comments left in the comments section of our website.

This letter landed in our inbox the morning after Halloween night. The reader described it as the “quietest Halloween ever”.

Just noting that Halloween has been the quietest ever. No kids dressed up and going out with their parents and friends.

Have we lost interest in Halloween? Last year, just four taps on the door. This year - none!

It was quiet as far as we were concerned. I can't speak for all areas of Starbeck, but certainly around Prospect Road it was very low profile.

Richard Coppinger, Starbeck

Removing the A61 overtaking lane will just lead to a continuous trail of slow traffic

This comment was left on a recent story about Conservative MP, Julian Smith, urging North Yorkshire Council to remove the overtaking lane on the A61 at South Stainley. The council this week approved plans to reduce the speed limit on the road between Ripon and Ripley from 60mph to 50mph.

If all opportunities to overtake are removed – which seems to be the very negative aim of our MP and others – this road will just become one continuous trail of queueing, slow traffic from Ripon to Harrogate and back again.

It will increase congestion, and indeed pollution, from vehicles travelling well below designed speeds. Can they not respect that the purpose of a road is to move the maximum amount of traffic as safely, smoothly and swiftly as possible?

Peter Horton

Perhaps Ripon Cathedral should moderate its expectations…

This comment was left under a recent article about an ex-archbishop who ‘regrets raising the temperature’ on the Ripon Cathedral annexe plan.

Unfortunately, Dr Williams has been misinformed about his comments being “linked with expressions of hostility to The Dean and Chapter”.

His statement was reproduced in its entirety as it appeared on the planning portal. He was concerned about the environment while supporting the need for facilities for the cathedral.

This opinion mirrors those people who have come to be known as The Tree Campaigners.

I, like others I speak to, would like nothing more than the cathedral to be able to have the facilities it needs, but perhaps it should moderate its expectations. There are solutions which could resolve this situation to everyone’s satisfaction, but sadly the Dean and Chapter have closed ears.

Jenni Holman

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