As the chairman of this year’s Otley Victorian Fayre I would like to say a very large thank you to the thousands of people who attended and made this year’s fayre the most successful ever.

The weather was very kind to us and ensured that we attracted the largest audience for many years. I think we can claim to be the largest outdoor free event in Otley. I also wish to thank the many people, too numerous to mention, who helped toward making this a successful event.

2010 will be the fayre’s 25th year and early in the New Year we will begin the process of planning for this important milestone. If you think you would like to join our team, please drop me a line on steph.lee7@talktalk.net. We are particularly looking for someone to be our secretary. It only involves attending our monthly meetings and taking the minutes. Is there someone out there who can spare approximately three hours a month?

If you cannot give time every month could you help out on an ad hoc basis or the day of the event?

We will be holding our usual de-brief in early February and would welcome ideas, thoughts on how to improve or change the event. Please feel free to contact me on the above e address.

Steph Lee

Chairman, Otley Victorian Fayre 2009

Care campaigners face silence and secrecy

Leeds City Council’s children’s care service is rated by the Audit Commission as poor and one of the worse nine in the country. But those responsible, both councillors and chief officers, evade accountability, are undemocratic and secretive over its policies.

For example, the children’s social services director has been given early retirement and councillors are refusing to make public the amount of pension and severance pay she has received.

Leeds executive councillors work in an atmosphere of secrecy, blocking information on their hidden agenda to dismantle and privatise care and ignore the evidence of the damage this policy can do. Those who saw the shocking TV programme of Gerry Robinson on residential care homes for the demented will understand how services deteriorate when profit, low pay and lack of training determine care.

Leeds are closing down day centres, automatically transferring service-users to private care providers when service-users are in hospital for more than two weeks, whilst paying bureaucrats massive salaries at the expense of front-line services.

However the Care Quality Commission report cannot be covered up. It is on the website OnePlace.com for all to see. But still, Leeds’ obdurate councillors frustrate care campaigners with silence, secrecy and are more interested in political dogma than the care of children, the elderly and disabled.

Bad care practices must be weeded out and this can only be done by transferring resources squandered on bureaucrats to front line care and the creation of a centrally funded national care service. But hidden away in the small print of the pre-Budget report is a cut in funding for residential care.

Malcolm Naylor

Grange View, Otley

Copenhagen more about t-shirts than science

I have just returned from Copenhagen, I felt I simply had to find out what it was all about. As I suspected, it was more about t-shirts than science. Thousands of people enjoying the friendly welcome of the city, but objective scientific appraisal there was none.

I mingled with youngsters from all over the world. None of them could even begin to discuss the subject with any authority.

Then the politicians arrived, more jamboree, more posturing, more promises of tax payers’ money for dodgy Third World countries whose leaders covet more Rolex watches, Mercedes Benz cars and Rayban sunglasses. And all this based on CO2 being a ‘pollutant’ which it is not, the globe boiling in 2050, which it won’t, that independent scientific opinion believe the ‘debate is over’ which it clearly is not.

One theme displayed strongly – money is the driving force. You would not believe how much of it is slushing about, most of it earmarked for those who already have plenty.

Godfrey Bloom

Euro MP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire

Member of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, European Parliament

Thanks to Carnegie Challenge participants

As a trustee of Wharfedale Special Medical Equipment Fund, I would like to thank local MP Greg Mullholland and his colleagues, Councillor Ryk Downes and Martin Rivett, for their sterling efforts in the Carnegie 126-Mile Challenge which enabled them to donate over £1,600 to the fund.

This sum will be utilised by us as part of our present project of purchasing various medical items for Wharfedale General Hospital, including equipment for enabling the ENT department to carry out nasal polyps surgery, and a hysteroscope for use in the hospital’s gynaecology clinic.

For these purchases we have set aside over £30,000, the majority of which has come from the generosity of the people of the hospital’s catchment area. It remains our policy to assist the Wharfedale General in providing items of medical equipment to enable local people to be treated locally, within easy visiting distance of their family and friends, in a well equipped local hospital.

Our only regret concerning the donations from Greg, Ryk and Martin is that we were unable to find any medical equipment specifically for the treatment of sore feet, aching limbs and blisters.

John Weatherill

Flasby, Skipton

Your legacy can make such a difference

I am writing to ask your readers to consider remembering Marie Curie Cancer Care in their wills. Gifts in wills are vital to the charity – they fund one in three Marie Curie nurses like me, who care for terminally ill people in their own homes at the end of their lives.

It may surprise you to discover that you do not need to leave an enormous amount to make a real difference to patients. £20 helps fund an hour of free home nursing care for someone with a terminal illness. You could leave a small one-off cash gift, or a share of your estate to the charity.

A gift in your will is also a tax-efficient way of giving, as the charity will not have to pay any inheritance tax on your donation. To find out more, please visit mariecurie.org.uk/ legacies, or call 0800 716 146. Your support will help Marie Curie Nurses reach more patients who wish to spend their final days at home, surrounded by their loved ones.

Meg Scoble

Marie Curie Nurse

Arthritis doesn’t go away for Christmas

For most of us, Christmas is a time for getting together with the family, celebrating with friends, eating wonderful food and exchanging presents. But for many of Yorkshire & Humber’s 760,000 people with arthritis, it can be a surprisingly lonely time. Some who are severely affected by the condition may be housebound in icy weather, while others are isolated by their own pain and the depression it causes, even when surrounded by people.

Arthritis doesn’t go away for Christmas, and just because someone doesn’t complain or is not obviously in pain doesn't mean they are not suffering inside. To help, I’m proud to say that Arthritis Care is opening its help lines for extra days during the holiday: this special Santa Service means that people in Yorkshire and Humber who are cut off by pain or loneliness can pick up the phone and get real support from someone who understands. So, if you or someone in the family has arthritis, do keep Arthritis Care's free number 0808 800 4050 nearby: it could make a real difference in a moment of need.

I wish all your readers a very happy Christmas.

Jane Asher