The writers and the issues in the pick of our postbag for 2007

IN RELATION to letters to the editor, an Amotherby reader recently thanked The Press "for a good read, occasional errors and some amusing contributions".

In November a first-time contributor and newcomer to the area said he "was astonished to see Readers' Letters so bereft of contributions that it is deemed necessary to allow a certain few to hog the chances of other letters reaching the public eye".

The fact is that some readers write more often than others, so it is not surprising if they end up getting more exposure.

In the 18 years this annual survey has been published, the most prolific female letter writers have been noted separately, often with fewer publications than their male counterparts.

For reasons that are not understood, it is our male readers who generate by far the most correspondence.

An example is Paul Willey who for many years has been one of our most regular and prolific correspondents. Twelve months ago he made a verbal commitment that he would stop writing to The Press. Has he been true to his word?

Let us examine 2007.

With no General Election, Members of Parliament have maintained a low profile, while prospective candidates have raised an awareness of their presence.

Local councillors have regularly aired their views. With a balance in political power there have been conflicting interpretations on many issues.

The pro-cyclist/anti-motorist and pro-motorist/anti-cyclist spat has continued for another year.

The year saw 3,291 general letters published. In addition, 29 letters appeared in the sports pages. This year saw the introduction of comments on sporting issues on the web. No attempt has been made to count or analyse these contributions.

The first letter of the year concerned the ftr. So what was new? Had the leader of the council developed a new persona over the festive season? His first letter was uncharacteristically signed "Stephen".

By January 6 David Quarrie had made it into print for the second time.

Readers commented on the hospital debt and had much to say about the cancellation of certain medical procedures.

A 14-year-old wrote to say it was disrespectful to ask an 80-year-old if he was over 18. Would that all the youth of today showed the same attitude to their seniors.

February produced letters saying that the council did not provide enough support for older people. The Archbishop of York was outspoken, with plenty of support for the stand he took. The licensing committee came in for criticism over imposed conditions in public houses and clubs. The forthcoming smoking ban also produced comment.

In March, roadworks carried out simultaneously at Stamford Bridge and on the A1079 posed questions about planners' sanity. Could congestion be relieved by reopening railway lines, it was asked.

The hospital debt came to the fore again, with readers being strongly in favour of letting GPs decide who is in need of treatment. The perennial issue of cycling on footpaths emerged, with Paul Hepworth accusing Liz Edge of joining Mike Usherwood's cycle-bashing lobby. All three were capable of standing their own corner, and did so as the year unfolded.

Easter was in April, and by then a pattern was beginning to emerge. A few readers were proving to be prolific letter writers, catching the editor's eye on numerous occasions. The footpath cycling controversy continued, and this month saw a spate of letters from charities. With the imminent local government elections, John Rogers of Barlby asked how many prospective councillors could write letters to The Press without advertising their political allegiance or smearing other political parties. In other words, as local councillors would they exercise true independence? No such letters appeared.

In his weekly column, Mike Bentley abused the Scots, and this did not go down well with readers. Criminal defence solicitors had something to say about changes in the way they would be remunerated. Finally, a number of readers complained about the special parking arrangements made for the funeral of one city resident.

May was election month. Letters ranged from pre-election promises (nine letters appeared on a separate page on May 1), through a post-mortem of the result to post-election thank-yous to voters.

There was praise for a production of Eugene Onegin by York Opera. And JD Fox had something to say about blocking up boltholes and pain caused by fox hunting.

Half-way through the year, and readers were displaying a robust attitude to a variety of topics. The naked bike ride, painting York taxis black, dualling the outer ring road and support for the car boot sales on Wigginton Road all sparked comment. There was also support for a former York funeral director who was in the news. As for pensioners, should they be travelling on buses to the detriment and inconvenience of fare-paying passengers?

It was in June that Coun Paul Blanchard made an attack on dairy products. This was followed by a strong rebuttal and then significant support.

The academic year ended in July with letters about school meals and promiscuity in teenagers: both emotive subjects. Strong comments were also made about nuclear energy. It was in this month that the formal announcement came that York taxi cabs were to become black at a time when London cabs seemed to be going the other way.

In August, a notoriously quiet news month, our readers kept up the flow of letters on a variety of topics. Where are the number six buses? What do we think about foie gras? Should Camilla attend the Diana memorial service? Is Malton livestock market under threat?

And Hugh Bayley, York's Member of Parliament said pensioners were much better off under Labour. Predictably, our pensioner readers disagreed wholeheartedly.

In September, although the schools returned, this was not an event to exercise readers. However, the implications of non-smoking pubs and hospitals were aired. Should products be tested on animals, it was asked; and the fence round Strensall Common firing range irritated a number of people. Finally, the implications of a £10 million reduction in police funding brought out the best/worst in the public.

A plethora of purely local issues dominated letters in October, such as the opening hours of the central library, the state of the public toilets (again), litter patrols, juvenile offenders, swimming pools and traffic flow. But Colin Jeffrey provoked an avalanche of letters over his attitude to the troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

By November the impact of the newly opened York College in Dringhouses was becoming obvious. Apart from the volume of traffic and litter, readers became conscious that parking provision at the college was inadequate and residential areas were accommodating student cars. One reader asked if Britain was walking towards an Orwellian state, and some correspondents had strong views about the way primary school children should be disciplined.

The year ended, as so many have, with another motorist/cyclist spat. More important will be the impact of post office closures and our readers have had much to say on this topic. As for potential building on the green belt coupled with dualling the northern ring road, these look like themes that will reappear in the coming year.

One reader made forceful comments about cannabis, which sparked a flurry of replies, mainly from North America and Canada.

What do we conclude from the past year? In total, 1,520 of our readers expressed an opinion on local as well as on national issues. A further 49 had letters printed anonymously. At least one third of the letter writers were female. For many years we have decried an absence of the short, zany, offbeat letters published in the national press and this year has been no exception.

Letters have been published from clerics, members of the police and armed services. A peer of the realm and a number knights have also graced our pages.

Some councillors have been more prolific than others, namely Tracey Simpson Laing with 29 published letters, Christian Vassie (24) and Paul Blanchard (21).

From the ladies whose contributions have reached double figures, we have recorded Ida Mary Goodrick (14), Cynthia Glasby (17), Liz Edge (19) and the undisputed champion Heather Causnett, with 30 letters.

Who, then, are the star correspondents? John Cossham (21), Philip Roe (26), AP Cox and Mike Usherwood (both 27), Paul Hepworth (28), JH Roy and T Scaife (both 36), Aled Jones (38), David Quarrie (46), Ken Holmes (49), J Beisley (52), Bob Waite (57) and George Appleby (70).

However, topping the list came retired police officer Kenneth Bowker, who managed to get into print on no fewer than 89 occasions.

And what of Paul Willey? He was true to his promise. Not once did he write to the letters' editor in the whole of 2007.