John Potts' column in the Evening Press of November 17 was kindly sent to me by a friend from York.

To correct a few points, Winterval is a winter festival which starts in November and carries on until the New Year, with Christmas as an integral part of the festivities. It is aimed at making the city bright, fun and welcoming at an otherwise dull time of year. The big "Merry Christmas" sign on the Council House, certainly does that!

If Mr Potts had done his research, he would have discovered that this is the second year that Winterval has been held, after a successful debut last year.

Nobody seemed to bat an eyelid, and everyone thought it was a great idea until the press latched on to this "the council is replacing Christmas" rubbish.

So please ask Mr Potts to do his own investigation next time he hears some ill-informed story, but above all wish him a very merry Christmas.

Paul Young,

Ashton Croft,

Ladywood,

Birmingham.

...What is the point of Christmas? Whose birthday are we really celebrating? No wonder no one knows, not a crib in sight in such a tremendously Christian city as York. Surely we could have had one next to the Christmas tree in Parliament Street (good use, at last, for the fountain)? Shop windows, once used to sport a nativity scene, now only display Father Christmas. No wonder children are confused. Please let's put Christ back into Christmas.

Mrs M Carter,

Lydham Court,

Foxwood,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.