Neglect is a sign of the times
Dear Editor, Nick Corbett comments that "Welcome to" signs in Sutton Coldfield need upgrading so that visitors know that they are arriving at a town with a unique identity and a city serious about design excellence". And I agree, so let's see what we have, and comparisons.
Muckley Corner, for example, has the traditional dignified black and white county sign that is part of our heritage. At the top, in smaller lettering, is "Lichfield District Council" with a county badge, and below in large lettering "Muckley Corner".
This small community around an island on the A5 is rightly accorded the dignity of a sign that gives identity, local authority, and county badge. No adverts.
There are various formats of this throughout the country, BUT NOT SO on any approach to Sutton Coldfield.
At the Sutton boundary, on the Chester Road, there is a tastelessly designed "Welcome to Birmingham" sign, with an equally big Heart FM advert that sponsors it, with no indication whatsoever that you are entering the Sutton boundary. Our existence is simply not acknowledged.
Other main approaches are similar, with the Lichfield and Tamworth Roads disgracefully hiding old "Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield" signs in a field, and a medical centre.
With something so important as identity excellence all round, I can't believe that our politicians do not lead on this and act.
Why, oh why, can't they again lift what used to be a premier league town, by attention to detail, with an eye to quality materials and design. There is a need for shopfront design guides, masterplans and public realm strategies.
There are many instances where basics are ignored, and this sign is but one. This is not a big deal, so are we asking too much for "Welcome to Sutton Coldfield" signs at our boundaries, with a Birmingham coat of arms - similar to the Erdington sign - introduced by their councillors.
Also, our three historic "Royal Town" signs should be moved from the places where they are hidden and doing their job on our town centre approaches.
These represent our heritage and a history that our politicians shamefully refuse to celebrate, and sustain. Most places are covetous of their history, and have intense civic pride in the presentation of their town.
These things have to be led, and are not encouraged in a Sutton Coldfield where even acknowledgement of our identity has not been sought.
KEN RUSHTON, Sutton Coldfield
Timely response
Dear Editor, Your correspondent, Chris Upton, asks the question 'What could you do in 45 minutes'? Well, the answer in my case - I am 70 years old - is that I could have a snooze on my bed or in my chair - something I do with increasing regularity of late. So much so that I often miss the second half of the television news. Am I getting old or what?
GEORGE COWLEY, Worcester
Unselfish act of kindness as lost handbag handed in
Dear Editor, I wish to publicly thank the kind man who handed in my lost handbag to Starbucks in the city centre. My husband and I had travelled to the city from North Wales for a meeting yesterday and during this time I lost my handbag.
It was not until much later, on the way home and stopping at Stafford services on the M6, that I realised my bag was missing. After a frantic call to directory enquiries and sub-sequent calls to a couple of Starbucks - the last place I remember seeing my handbag - I was told my bag had been handed in by a customer.
We quickly returned to Birmingham to collect my bag, complete with all its contents - purse and credit cards, more than £300 in notes, 500 euros and my passport, my car documents and driving licence. Words cannot express how relieved I was to be reunited with my bag. I only hope that the fantastic gentleman will read this is know how deeply grateful I am to his kindness and honesty.
It is so wonderful that there are still people like this left in the world today, my sincerest thanks to you, whoever you are. May you be blessed and be rewarded tenfold. I would like to reward you if you care to get in touch through The Post.
My thanks also to the kind staff in Starbucks. It really is refreshing to hear of such acts of unselfish kindness in a world full of crime and greed.
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
First class Post is the one to follow
Dear Editor, I'm so sorry that I could not join you at The Birmingham Post's 150th anniversary celebration.
Even as pioneer on the original NCTJ training course, which was held at the old College of Commerce in Great Charles Street in 1958, I was an ardent reader of The Post and vowed that one day I would join such eminent writers as Keith Brain, Leslie Duckworth, Arthur Sutton and even the irrepressible John Slim who, wonder of wonders, is still writing for the paper.
It has always been the regional newspaper to follow and, when Fleet Street was still going, was always the acknowledged jumping off spot for the Street and further success.
In those days, I believe, the circulation was close to 100,000 and the editor was of the old school, David Hopkinson, a tireless campaigner who knew how to manage people and get the very best out of us all. Above all, he recognised achievement over adversity and his printed daily observations about our performances, were something we all waited for even though sometimes it would cause us to cry in our beer.
He enabled me to be The Post's first property editor and, with Ian Hamilton-Fazey, who went on to do great things with the Financial Times, we ran the business desk.
In those days, property on a Friday was called the Property and Auctions supplement and attracted many allies whose names were legendary in house building - David Charles, David Groves, Ron Ridge, Frank Selwyn, Herman Kay, Jim Bedson, Sir Eric Pountain - he went on to become National Businessman of the Year - Ray Wallington, Chris Bryant, Johnny Johnson, Geoffrey McLean, Sam Pickstock, Bill Epton and many more.
They invariably showed London a clean pair of heels with their innovative style of building marketing.
Still an avid reader of The Post, may I wish you every success - and here's to at least another 150 years.
KEN JACKSON, Sandon, Stafford
New Street plans wander off track
Dear Editor, I would refer to your front page message showing the number of days waiting for the Government to commit further funds to the New Street Station project.
I am one reader who does not want any more public funds from my income tax given to the project. As a daily user of the station, all I want is a platform to get on and off the train, a waiting area, a ticket office, a reliable train information system and, perhaps a buffet outlet.
I understand that the £128 million already earmarked by the Government is to modernise the existing railway infrastructure at New Street station and, although I am no expert, this sounds like a reasonable sum for the engineers to do the job.
I do not want the Government to provide extra funds for a grandiose retail concourse or another shopping mall. Let the developers put their hands in their pockets if they think this is a good business proposition for them.
Instead, if the Government is minded to come up with another £250 million, I would rather this money be put towards four tracking to Coventry and Wolverhampton and opening up the tunnels plus new local railway infrastucture to implement the proposed rail routes along the Camp Hill line and out to Castle Vale - as recently reported in your paper.
As a rail user, I want to see Government money spent only on modernising and enlarging the local rail network.
If others want to bolt on commercial developments they should invest the funds and not keep whingeing that the Government is dragging its feet and letting down the West Midlands.
ROY BAKER, Marston Green
Platform is there for city rail hub
Dear Editor, John Duckers' story in The Birmingham Post (December 5) succinctly covered the one and only argument as to why any refurbishment of New Street Station will not result in an improved service.
It is not, however, only the fact that station will never be capable of accommodating increased train capacity, but by not going for a Grand Central Station the city is missing a golden opportunity to create a hub from which all the main public transport needs for Birmingham and the West Midlands would radiate.
Such a hub would not only have served the existing multiple train routes which radiate from that one and only point, but it could have incorporated bus and coach stations, making Birmingham THE MAJOR passenger interchange in Britain.
A Grand Central would enhance the potential and value of the East Side Development by providing business and residents with easy access to rail, bus and coach travel to almost anywhere in Britain, while careful design would enable pedestrians to flow uninterrupted to and from the city centre.
It might even be possible to incorporate Lawley Street Station into such a complex and overcome the problem of its future.
Whereas, if the current proposals go ahead, not only are future passengers likely to be faced with worsening problems arising from delayed trains, but passengers needing connections via Snow Hill or Moor Street stations, and coach and bus services, will continue to have to make their own way across the City Centre at all hours in all weathers.
It's not exactly encouraging people to use public transport.
Like John Duckers, I too am no railway anorak, but concerned for the future long-term prosperity of Birmingham and the West Midlands.
LESLIE COOPER, Sutton Coldfield
