MY great grandfather, Frank Marshall, was headteacher at the Haxby school in the 1890s which was housed in the Memorial Hall.

My father and his eight brothers and sisters went there. I was a pupil from 1949 until the school moved to the Ralph Butterfield site. Now trustees want to replace this historic building with a revolting glass house, completely out of keeping with the old village.

The reasons for retaining the hall have been well argued by Haxby residents in the Press. I presume English Heritage has been consulted. My beloved old grammar school, Queen Anne's, was saved as a building when a preservation order was slapped on it, thus depriving York's city council and greedy property developers from making a fortune. I hope the people of Haxby keep telling the trustees not to interfere in the heritage which matters so much to so many people.

Carole Tucker,

Hillside Gardens,

Highgate, London.

Updated: 11:02 Thursday, August 25, 2005