A GREAT deal has been written about Haxby Memorial Hall. As a memorial it is a non-event, the true memorial stands in St Mary's Church. As an architectural beauty it is one of the worst examples of its era.

The late Kenneth Ward, who gave the Ethel Ward playing fields in memory of his wife, always had the vision that a village hall would be built on that site. The hall itself is beyond its sell-by-date and needs to be flattened for health and safety reasons. Although its central position is attractive for community reasons it is not viable to keep it there.

The building and land needs to be sold and the income used to build a futuristic facility on the Ethel Ward playing field. This option has never been seriously debated but, with an income of between £1 and £2 million for the present site, the present trustees could come up with a tremendous facility for the next 100 years.

Imagine a sports hall, a theatre, playgroup facilities, changing rooms for sport, a council chamber for the town council and meeting rooms as well as a new library.

Their alternative is to run out of funds in two years and what would you put in its place? You could retain the present frontage and build a town market which would match the markets of Northallerton, Stokesby, Scarborough, Skipton and Selby which are good examples and add to the central shopping attraction, which Haxby already has.

A covered market could embrace many new retail facilities eg fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, fresh flowers, clothing, charity stalls, sweet stalls, shoe shop etc all of which would add to the economy of Haxby town centre.

Geoff Howard

Swarthdale,

Haxby,

York.

Updated: 10:13 Thursday, October 20, 2005