5/10/2007

Woking

Letters from October 4 2007

Light aircraft blighting our lives

EDITOR — I note that your newspaper has recently published two articles extolling the virtues of flying light aircraft. 

I do not doubt that this is indeed a thrilling activity but it is only within the financial reach or personal goal of a few. 

I have not seen anything in your newspaper that explains the considerable noise pollution experienced by a very large number of residents for the advantage of the few.

Back in the 1980s Fairoaks applied for a hard runway to replace the grass strip.  One advantage was said to be aircraft would gain height quicker and noise would be reduced.  This has not been an obvious result from my experience. 

Your article says that the aircraft fly at 1,300 feet. This I doubt as I can read the identification letters of the aircraft that regularly fly over my property. 

I live 3350m from the centre of the runway in south Horsell near the cricket ground. In the 1980s it was claimed that the flying area was 3,000m from the airfield and I have a letter from Fairoaks to say that regular circuit flying should not be over this area.

However the fact remains that we do suffer regular circuit flights at this distance from the airfield, therefore a very considerable number of residents must be affected by intrusive noise events on a regular basis.

I would like to know what the industry can do about this. Surely there is new technology available which would reduce noise significantly as has happened with the airline industry? 

I do not understand why the training aircraft have to fly over such a large area of quite dense housing, it must be possible to limit and vary the circuit.  Perhaps “Mr Fairoaks” could explain.

Barry Squibb
Old Malt Way
Horsell

Power cuts will be a part of life

EDITOR — As oil and gas become more expensive over the coming years, due to scarcity and the increasing difficulty of extraction, we can expect electricity to become more expensive and for supplies to be disrupted. Power cuts may become regular events.

It may be that we have only a short time before these things happen. If so, it does not seem to be the right time for Woking to start building high rise blocks.

Few people will want to walk up 24 floors because the lifts are out of action yet again. It could be that the new blocks become redundant before they are even built.

Have our planners taken the coming energy crisis into consideration, I wonder?

David F Pennant
Oriental Road
Woking

Lightbox building beautiful

EDITOR — The Lightbox:  What a beautiful building.

Woking is a great town but it is hardly a haven of architectural excellence. The Lightbox is a beautiful well designed building which fits and enhances a very awkward space.

I wholeheartedly agree with Ray Morgan’s comments that The Lightbox should be looked on as a great local asset and an investment into the cultural and creative side of life for the people of Woking.

I have only lived in Woking for three-and-a-half years and I find it a very vibrant, interesting and pleasant place to live.

The local councillors must be very forward looking, brave and innovative in their determination to see this project through to its actual conception and opening.

Bracknell has an extremely well used arts centre in Southhill Park. It has grown from strength to strength and was first conceived in the 1960s.

Aldershot also has a very well used arts centre, The West End Centre, which again is extremely well used by the local community. If some of the people Woking do not quite understand the concept of an arts centre, I suggest they visit either Southhill Park or The West End Centre.

I do wish The Lightbox every success in the future. My family and friends will certainly visit and use its facilities.

Marcelle Redford
Kirby Road, Woking

Wasting money on gimmicks

EDITOR — Good for you for putting Mr Robinson in his place, (News and Mail, September 27).

No offence, though if we must have a museum in Woking where you go if it rains or have nothing better to do, use a smaller building.

The old Woking News and Mail office in Chertsey Road would have been ideal. It’s a relic in itself.

Incidentally my brother worked in that office  when he left school before World War II.

So Woking Borough Council is going to cut jobs. Let’s hope it’s the top end jobs and not the lower paid, struggling to pay Woking’s council tax, one of the highest in the country and wasted on costly gimmicks.

Wally Marshall
Beaconsfield Road
Woking

When honesty prevails

EDITOR — I would like to thank the honest person who picked up a good pair of gloves I had dropped in the town centre, and who placed them in a prominent position on the control boxes at the rear of ‘Griddles’. 

Thanks also to the other honest persons who subsequently passed by and left them in place for my subsequent return, search and collection.

In these days of news full of violence and many other unpleasantries, it is rewarding that the alternative side to life still exists.   Thank you all very much.

Ray Attwood
Goldsworth Road, Woking

Memories of Shane the lion

EDITOR — Does anyone remember a lion called Shane that was kept in a double decker bus in Maybury Road? This was in the 1970s, about 1973 ish.

It was prior to the Dangerous Animals Act and when the act became law he was sent to a zoo. There was a story of him jumping on a woman outside Tesco, she was apparently wearing a leopard skin coat! She wasn’t hurt by the way.

I have repeated this story to my children who don’t believe a word of it!  The owner was a taxi driver but I can’t recall his name.

I was born in Maybury but moved away more than 30 years ago.
Julie Jakubowska
Sandfields Road
St Neots
Cambs

First printed in: Woking News and Mail