The pick of 2006

LOCAL newspapers thrive on local news. They also depend on readers' views about international, national and local concerns. The Press is no exception.

Another year has passed with the letters page providing comments, complaints, inquiries and appreciations.

In mid-January, Barbara Pettitt wrote that already we were hearing about city council cash cuts, problems at York Hospital, robberies, parking charges and the Barbican Centre. Could this also be the recipe for the year just starting?

The past 12 months have seen 3,361 general letters published, with a further 49 appearing on the sports pages.

They came from many parts of Britain, with some of our regular correspondents living far from the immediate York area. The Press even received attention from Australia, Canada and the United States. How many local newspapers can claim such universal readership?

There is an established core of people who write regularly to the paper. Some address a range of topics, while others air pet subjects such as buses, cannabis, cyclists, motorists or swimming pools.

A year ago ago we reported that Paul Willey had appeared in print more often than any other correspondent. Early last January, he admitted to having already broken a resolution to stop writing to The Press. How did he behave in the ensuing months?

The early letters in 2006 continued much in the same vein as those ending 2005.

The first letter of the year came from Peter Edwards of First York, the bus company that features heavily month by month. Readers felt that higher fares would reduce the number of bus passengers.

The city council's withdrawal of a grant to Stagecoach Youth Theatre York caused anger. So did a potential move for York Central Library.

By the end of January 22, correspondents had already appeared twice in print, with one catching the editor's eye three times.

February produced post-event comments about the Christmas lights. The Barbican debacle emerged yet again. And so did the buses, with concerns that the new ones - later known by their catchy title of ftr - would be too long. How would passengers manage when the bus inquiry office was abolished?

The painful subject of NHS dentists also got an airing.

Spring did not produce early claims about the cuckoo, although readers had plenty to say about sparrow-hawks. The uncertainty about the future of Nestl provoked criticism. There were conflicting views about the benefits of electro-convulsive therapy.

One reader took exception to thePrime Minister's claim that "God would be my judge".

The religious theme and Christianity continued into April. Leeman Road featured heavily, with comments about the siting of the Big Wheel and the relocation of Arc Light. Readers were up in arms when it emerged that the council tax might be capped. But there were positive comments about the new amenity tip in James Street.

By May, relocation of the Peasholme Centre disturbed readers. The month also provided comments about cycle helmets and nuclear energy. The black/green dustbin saga continued.

June provided more comments about nuclear power and the consequent risks, a naked bike ride, the cost of cremation, and mercury in teeth. Council leader Steve Galloway was under fire (not for the first time), on this occasion about councillors' expenses.

July provided more letters about the ftr. Concerns about British Sugar appeared, and allegedly excessive sound from F1 cars at Elvington irritated. There was a call to move York market back to Parliament Street.

It was this month that nostalgia emerged, with recollections of Pink Floyd and other rising stars at the New Earswick Folk Hall.

City MP Hugh Bayley's comments about selling your home to go into care brought a deluge of letters in August. The suggestion that the police should charge for attendance at events was not liked. And yes, the ftr was still in the firing line.

In September Mr Bayley was hectored for suggesting that the lot of pensioners had improved. The council was criticised for suggesting prizes to council house rent payers. The record of collecting parking fines was under debate. The last performance at the Odeon was mourned, and there were pleas to improve the safety of the A1079.

In October readers expressed opposing views about a casino. Tractors causing congestion brought replies from those whose livelihood depended on driving such vehicles. A mother's opinion about cycling on pavements kept that issue alive. Readers were keen to provide views on a Remembrance Service without a religious content. Finally, on October 24, seven correspondents wrote about affordable housing.

Inevitably fireworks were a topic for November. So were the proposed traffic lights at Dunnington Road end. Further job losses in the city caused concern, Finally this month education and schools produced a range of opinion.

And so to December, with the ftr still featuring in readers' letters. This month the St Nicholas Fayre was praised, swimming pool locations criticised and potential post office closures caused alarm. The temporary skating rink brought comment. Regular contributor AP Cox appeared in both general and sports pages on December 30, and true to form Paul Willey provided us with a letter on the last day of the year.

During the year, 1,794 readers had their names attached to letters. Just 41 letters appeared with the name and address withheld, and 32 members of the Smith family made it into print. A letter appeared from Bruce Murray of Murray Street, and there was one from Lord Feversham, who was joined on the same day by one from a reader living in Feversham Crescent.

The election cycle often dictates the frequency of letters from politicians. Hugh Bayley wrote to us on nine occasions, but it was local politicians who kept up the momentum. Councillors Ann Reid (ten), Andy D'Agorne (11), Sandy Fraser (13), Tracey Simpson-Laing (14) and Christian Vassie (18) were the most frequent contributors to make The Press.

Some readers who had featured regularly in past years have not been so prolific in the past 12 months. Although a few new names have appeared regularly, none has yet achieved the frequency of the well-known correspondents.

As always it was delight to hear from Ida Mary Goodrick, who appeared seven times, along with WP Carter and Rita Leaman. They were closely followed by Lesley Lickley (eight), Jean Frost (11), Janet Kitchen (13), Liz Edge (16) and Margaret Lawson, another of our erstwhile stalwarts (17).

However, it remained to Heather Causnett to catch the editor's attention on no fewer than 26 occasions.

A number of readers provided The Press with more than 20 letters, namely AP Cox (22), B Emmerson, Dr Richard Greaves, Terry Smith and Mick Snowden (all 23), Keith Chapman (24) and George Appleby (25). Four correspondents kept up a steady despatch of views, ending up with Ken Holmes achieving 27 printed missives, Mike Usherwood scoring 28, and T Scaife and Bob Waite both with 29 to their name.

During the year there was a continuing barrage of correspondence from Kenneth Bowker, PR Willey and David Quarrie. It was not until the last week that it emerged that David Quarrie with 38 letters had beaten the others by one contribution.

Letter writing should not really be a competitive sport. However JA Whitmore summed it all up very nicely on December 30 when he wrote: Letters in The Press are a daily feature of many readers' lives... May 2007 continue to provide sparky letters."

How successful that will be is entirely up to you.