CONGRATULATIONS to the Minster team for the leadership they are showing on reducing the cathedral’s contribution to climate change.
It is inspiring to see the church recognising the part it has to play in in cutting carbon emissions, and generating a third of the building’s electricity needs from the solar panels on the roof is no small achievement.
Demonstrating that historic buildings can and should play their part in cutting carbon emissions is also very much welcomed in a historic city like York. I hope that this serves to inspire others. With the least energy efficient buildings in Europe, the UK has much to do and, aside from cutting emissions, these changes cut energy bills and over time save a great deal of money!
Christian Vassie,
Blake Court,
Wheldrake,
York
—
Thoughts on the Taliban, Labour and daffodils
THE Taliban regime in Afghanistan considers misogyny to be the natural way to treat women, therefore, women’s cricket is outlawed. The rest of cricket’s world-wide family have an opportunity to show their abhorrence by refusing to play matches against Afghan men’s teams. However, until both the ECB and ICC consider morals to be more important than money, nothing will change.
When in opposition Rachel from accounts gloated gleefully about how incompetent Truss and Co were in crashing the economy. Reeves’ own talent for being Chancellor, courtesy of a dubious CV, is being exposed by the day, her budget has cost the treasury billions in extra borrowing fees, resulting in the pound dropping in value, business costs on the rise, a fall in mortgage rates unlikely, unemployment on the rise, a diminishing number of foreign investors, share values dropping, pension funds struggling, food prices on the rise, energy costs also, all in all not much to gloat about. The only “growth” achieved by this Labour Government is a rise in the cost of living and the electorate realising they have been well and truly conned by a bunch of equal incompetents.
Let’s look on the bright side, the joys of spring and summer are on the horizon, daffodils are emerging in the garden ready to display their pomp, tulips not far behind, holiday adverts inviting us to exotic places, cricket fixtures already in the diary, golf courses free of ice and snow. Cheer up, life’s not that bad!
Peter Rickaby,
West Park,
Selby,
North Yorkshire
—
Excellent article on the York suffragettes
I WAS very pleased to read David Wilson’s excellent article about the York women who successfully campaigned for the vote, (The Press, January 8, 2025).
Readers who wish to discover more about the Votes for Women campaign in York will find lots more about Annie Coultate, the Suffield sisters of Fulford and Violet Key Jones, on the ‘History Topics’ tab of the website of Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington Local History Society: www.ffhyork.weebly.com.
Christopher Rainger,
Grange Street,
York
—
Speedy service to Leeds
I ENJOYED roving through the double-page panorama of York Station and bus stops, 1925, in January 9th’s Press. The buses looked surprisingly ‘modern’ for centenarians.
I don’t think my memory is pulling the wool of the years over my eyes as I recall that as late as the Second World War and mid-1940s there were a few open stairs double-decker buses still operating in York.
Can any bus enthusiast confirm this?
Also drawing my attention was the large hoarding ‘Leeds in 30 Minutes’; by rail, which is pretty good going – it’s not that much quicker a century later, is it?
Derek Reed,
Middlethorpe Drive,
York
—
What do you think? Send your views to: letters@thepress.co.uk Write no more than 250 words and please provide your full name, address and mobile number
