'Nice to see Olly come to Colchester - but still no sign of top acts at Charter Hall': Your Gazette Letters

This show will no doubt be supported and appreciated by Olly’s many fans in the area.

The fact this is happening reminds me Colchester Council announced some time ago touring shows and events would be staged at Charter Hall. 

We were advised these would be promoted in conjunction with the Mercury Theatre. To date I have not seen any evidence this has left the drawing board stage.

Venues to stage music shows of all types are generally provided by the local authority and this should be high on the list of priorities for Colchester Council.

Let us have some action from Colchester Council so residents and visitors of all ages can enjoy top class live music of all types locally.

Norman Bailey Cambridge Road, Colchester

• Bigger issues to tackle than Sir Bob's High Steward duties

I HAVE noted with distaste the mean-spirited attitude by Colchester Conservatives with regard to the candidature of Sir Bob Russell as Liberal Democrat candidate for Colchester and his post of High Sheriff.

Surely this election should be about the different political approaches to Britain’s choice to turn our backs on Europe, about our National Health Service, cuts in education, our tax levels, retirement and other pensions, defence, police, security, housing sprawl and a great deal else.

Instead, local Conservatives are banging on about an issue which is not an issue.

The matter turns on whether the honorary post of High Sheriff should or should not be mixed with politics.

Sir Bob has decided that it should not. Consequently he will take no part in any activities relating to the Sheriff’s Office during the period up to the election.

Just for the record, there are three major precedents – all Conservatives – who were able, without criticism, to separate the High Sheriff’s Office from Party Politics while being active in both: Lord Alport, a distinguished member of the House of Lords, Percy Sanders on Essex County Council and Gurney Benham on Colchester Town Council.

A General Election is a time for careful choice.

I cannot help feeling that once again we are deliberately being distracted by spiteful trivialities from the very real and important issues that we have to vote on in June.

John Stevens D’Arcy Road, Colchester Former MP should stand down I WAS astounded by the announcement the Liberal Democrats had selected their former (and defeated) member to be their candidate to represent Colchester at the forthcoming election.

Sir Bob Russell is High Steward of this ancient borough and as such is, by custom, above politics.

This is something that seems to have been forgotten since he was appointed.

It used to be the case that the High Steward was rarely seen and never heard since his advice was rarely sought, generously given when asked for but all done quite privately.

I assume Sir Bob Russell to be an honourable man of integrity.

He therefore should immediately resign as the High Steward; failing his doing so, the borough council should withdraw his commission at the next council meeting.

Chris Manning-Press West Lodge Road, Colchester

• We are experts in Highwoods

A LETTER from T Foster challenged the Highwoods Independent councillors to respond to Mr Britton’s letter.

I haven’t seen Mr Britton’s original letter but T Foster quoted part of it including he (Mr Britton) claimed no councillors have ever been to High Woods Country Park.

Myself, and Beverley and Philip Oxford, have lived on Highwoods since early 1993 and must have visited the park thousands of times.

Half the country park, the whole of the Colchester Business Park and the estate that stretches from Grants off licence on Ipswich Road to Balkerne Gate plus the whole estate up to Axiel Way are wholly in the Highwoods ward boundaries.

I have represented Highwoods since 2000, my wife Beverley Oxford since 2001 and son Philip Oxford since 2007.

Gerard Oxford Highwoods Independent Group Princess Drive, Colchester

• Station tunnel idea must see light

It was good to see the most promising proposal for solving the traffic problems at the rail crossing next to Manningtree Station in more than 50 years.

With so much imminent local development proposed and accepted a radical scheme is vital. Derek Monnery’s experience and continued interest has produced what must be the only lasting solution to the much argued situation.

It is expedient a scheme is accepted and promoted as soon as possible to secure funding from possible sources.

Network Rail, with its development on the factory site at Catterwade, Essex and Suffolk county councils, regional development agencies, Haven Gateway, and the many housing developers, large and small in the wide area, are all contributing to the traffic problem.

Hopefully the incoming elected government will support this. Sadly it is too late for EU funding now.

David Shearmur, Grange Road, Lawford

• Perhaps sign has its roots in village’s history

The spelling of Boxted Road as “Boxsted Road” may not be as bad a mistake as other decisions about roads made by Essex County Council. 

There are several examples of the “Boxsted” spelling, for example Boxsted Aerodrome in the 1981 book Target Luftwaffe. 

Boxted comes from two words in Old English, “boc” (beech) and “stead” (place), i.e place of the beeches.

The 11th century Domesday book has it as “Bocstede” and “Bucchessteda”. 

The spelling “Boxsted” does capture the pronunciation quite well and preserves clear signs of the two words that once made it up.

Vivian Cook Maldon Road, Colchester

• It's time for investmenton our roads

It is interesting to note that of 11,200 pothole damage claims received by Essex County Council, only 945 were successful, thus 91.5 per cent were considered to be not valid claims, a rather high number to say the least.

I find it hard to believe so many people suffered damage to their car due to poor maintenance as clearly the council do not consider they hit a pothole but more “a minor road defect”.

Had their car been properly maintained, no damage would have been caused or, alternatively, a very high number of fraudulent claims has been submitted. 

The true number of incidents and true cost will never be known as many motorists don’t submit a claim as they know it will be dismissed.

It is estimated to repair all the potholes in the UK would cost in the region of £12 billion. Think of the millions of road journeys that would benefit from decent roads; safer driving conditions, improved journey times, millions of pounds saved on vehicle repairs.

Compare this to the estimated £63 billion cost of HS2. It is about time the Government stopped treating the motorist as a cash cow and reinvested some of the money.

Geoff Richardson Tiptree