Times letters: Costs and compromises of preserving heritage

Times

7 days ago

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Sir, Richard Morrison says that the Canal & River Trust (CRT) 'is clearly never going to earn enough income … to maintain 2,000 miles of leaky canals on a diminishing subsidy' ('English Heritage and the National Trust are on the brink', Jul 18). He is spot-on in his assessment, but inland waterways are in a worse situation than he describes. CRT is responsible for only 2,000 of Britain's 5,000 miles of canals and navigable rivers. The rest are managed by bodies ranging from the Environment Agency to local authorities to small charities, all facing cuts or uncertainty in income.
The benefits of Britain's waterway network are well understood, and the return on investment is huge. CRT's present grant of £53 million per year results in economic and social benefits worth £6.1 billion. Failing to maintain waterways will sacrifice these benefits and put communities at risk, as in 2019 when 1,500 people had to be evacuated when the Toddbrook reservoir dam threatened to collapse.
This is why more than 160 organisations representing hundreds of thousands of users and supporters have come together as Fund Britain's Waterways, to campaign for action. We urge all who care about our inland waterways to support the campaign and make their views known to their MPs.Sue O'HareDeputy national chair, Inland Waterways Association
Sir, I am confident that English Heritage and the National Trust are serious about resolving their financial difficulties. However, it would be wise for them to look at the salaries in the upper echelons, rather than at dismissing cleaners and kitchen staff. If visitors notice a drop in standards and a shortage of decent food, they will vote with their feet. This will cause a quick doom loop.Robert BostonKingshill, Kent
Sir, I agree with Max Falconer, (letter, Jul 19). Entry fees at National Trust properties are ludicrously high for non-members. My wife and I were recently at Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire. The cost for entry was £42 for two pensioners. I asked if I could have a credit against applying for a full membership later, but the answer was: 'We don't do that any more.'Rod StoneBishopsteignton, Devon
Sir, Max Falconer is wrong. If we didn't get free entry we would cancel our membership.Brian DuganHazlemere, Buck
Sir, The National Trust has a winning formula that suits millions of committed supporters. But recent changes at the properties, made in good faith, may be upsetting the golden geese on which the trust relies.
Hitherto, members have considered that the trust protects the 'Old England' they love, and remembered it in their wills. But four years ago the trust took on 90 staff 'with curator in their job title', mostly from museums, the centre of woke. All but 28 of the trust's mansions have since been deemed second division and eligible for change. With the impending job losses comes an opportunity for the trust to put its architectural legacy to the fore, led by an expert on historic architecture. Its present competence with architecture is shown by its refusal to restore the superlative Marble Hall at Clandon, in favour of a costly modernist installation. A change of tack is overdue.Jeffrey HaworthMalvern, Worcs
Sir, In response to Lt Col Peter Haldane's letter (Jul 19), I am proud to wear my late husband's medals. I know which side I should display them but I would put them anywhere on my jacket to honour his nine and a half years of service in the Royal Air Force. We are losing Royal British Legion clubs weekly thanks to outdated rules and conditions governing ceremonies and even entry to the club — we tell people 'you can't sit there' and 'you can't wear that', and my committee wonders why clubs are dwindling and we may have to close. We should encourage new members, but even former service personnel are unwilling to join because they do not feel welcome. This is the same with many of the few clubs we have left. I respect the work of our forces, but sometimes we should bring ourselves up to date.Jacky Towers Honorary secretary, Hedon & district Royal British Legion, Hull
Sir, Lt Col Haldane forgets one of the most basic military principles. The way the chief of the naval staff wears his medals is, by definition, correct — unless, of course, the chief of the defence staff decides otherwise.Colonel Neil Munro (ret'd)Salisbury
Sir, As a former circuit judge in the crown court for 21 years, I support the suggestions made by Edmund Vickers (letter, Jul 19) for dealing with the courts backlog. 'Plea bargaining', which was rather disparaged in my day, is very productive if done sensibly by an experienced judge. I found that in many cases defendants were quite prepared to plead guilty if they were told by the judge in open court the sentence they were likely to be given. Similarly, the prosecution were also likely to reduce or withdraw charges shown by the judge to be unrealistic. It was not uncommon for the listing office to list up to four trials per day in front of me, knowing that most if not all of them were likely to be cracked. This was a very effective method of reducing the backlog of trials in our court.His Honour Richard BrayHarrold, Beds
Sir, Dr Brian W Darracott (letter, Jul 18) must have retired as a magistrate quite a long time ago. The concept of proof 'beyond reasonable doubt' fell out of use more than 20 years ago. Juries are now required to be 'satisfied so that they are sure' before they find an accused guilty.Professor Mark Hill KCLondon EC4
Sir, The verdict of a jury is almost always accepted by the public. This would not be the case for verdicts by judge and assessors. Jury trial should be kept as a right in serious cases. Arthur Noble West Kirby, Wirral
Sir, Action is urgently needed to stem the alarming outflow of wealth from Britain. The advisers Henley & Partners estimate 16,500 wealthy people will leave this year, while Oxford Economics forecasts more than £1 billion in direct tax revenue will be lost annually due to the abolition of non-dom rules. The exodus threatens jobs, public services and investment. I am a sponsor of today's parliamentary reception for the non-partisan advocacy group Foreign Investors for Britain, which is calling for the reintroduction of an investor visa underpinned by a tiered wealth tax scheme. Entrepreneurs would pay up to £2 million annually, while their overseas assets would be protected from UK taxes. This model, which would generate large revenues and a variant form of which is already used elsewhere in Europe, is politically viable and fiscally sound. It would be a win-win for the UK and public service funding — and for entrepreneurs who proudly call the UK their home.Baroness MobarikHouse of Lords
Sir, Dr MacKellar refers (letter, Jul 18) to a principle that all present and possible future children have equal worth, but this principle has long been abnegated. In families with a known propensity to have children with 21-trisomy — Down's syndrome — parents can request artificial insemination and selection on the basis of genetic heritage. There is also an accepted effort to eliminate Huntington's at a pre-embryo stage. Few in this country, I believe, think this raises a pressing ethical question.Dr Graham ReadCardiff
Sir, Diane Abbott's observation (News, Jul 19) that black people can face immediate and unthinking discrimination while those who do not look visibly different can experience discrimination after something is known of belief or lifestyle is simply a statement of the obvious. It is a worrying indictment of Labour leadership that this should lead to her suspension from the party.Lord Singh of WimbledonHouse of Lords
Sir, Gerard Baker (Comment, Jul 18) describes President Zelensky as the man President Trump and JD Vance 'humiliated in the Oval Office'. In my opinion, Trump and Vance humiliated themselves and their country.Nick BaxterBeckenham
Sir, Elisabeth Braw (Comment, Jul 18) laments a lack of 'cable surgeons'. Perhaps we need to channel the spirit of Sir James Anderson. The Great Eastern, a steamship to carry 4,000 passengers, was the last designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and its construction was a financial disaster for him. After his death it was converted for cable laying. In 1865, Captain Anderson was charged with laying a cable between Foilhummerum Bay in Co Kerry and Heart's Content in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. Not too far from the destination and at an estimated depth of 2,000 fathoms, the cable was dropped — oops. The task was abandoned, but in 1866 Anderson set off again in Great Eastern to find the cable. Using a grapnel, he and his team found the cable, spliced it and completed the job. For his efforts he was knighted by Queen Victoria. In October 1866, The Times wrote: 'The name of Captain Sir James Anderson must ever be prominent on the roll of British seamen.'Catherine UsherLondon W5
Sir, You rightly describe ('Going for Growth', leading article, Jul 19) the parlous state of the economy and Labour's mistakes that have contributed to it. But the reference to the 'slump' in London house prices implies that this is a bad thing. A fall in house prices at the upper end of the market will feed through to other properties, and anything that makes housing more affordable — particularly for younger people — should be seen as a blessing.John Grossman Northwood HA6
Sir, Further to your anecdote about Ted Heath (Diary, Jul 19), Douglas Hurd confirmed in an account of a Conservative Association dinner Heath's sulkiness and hatred of chit-chat. As Heath sat glumly silent between two women, a note was passed up the table by an aide begging him to make conversation with his neighbours. A scribbled note came back saying: 'I have.'Bruce ParkerAppleshaw, Hants
Sir, Further to the letter about the Hastings embroidery (Jul 18), a full-size replica of the Bayeux Tapestry is displayed at Reading Museum. It is 70m long and was made by 35 female Victorian embroiderers. Viewing is free.Vivien SultoonCobham, Surrey
Sir, Further to your letters on 'deep breath' explanations (letters, Jul 17-19), my mother must have had much the same feeling when she told me about menstruation. I had asked about mensuration. Her answer was of limited assistance with my maths homework.David ReeceBrook, Kent