Where were the new ideas?
AS past tourism providers in Battle and regular visitors back to Battle, it has been interesting to read its recent tourism debate. Whilst it's important to note and value what Battle has to offer to the tourist, what is almost certainly more important is how the town's tourism is managed.
The golden era of Battle's tourism was clearly rooted in the 90s, when, with Battle Promotions, Battle managed its own Tourist Office and its own tourism. Everyone was made to feel involved and regularly invited to contribute their ideas to what was always considered to be for the long-term benefit of the town.
And then, the Tourist Office was given to English Heritage, the Town Council suddenly announced that it was taking responsibility for Battle's tourism - and, almost immediately, the difference could be felt. It is no secret that quangos and councils do not make for the best and most efficient managers, especially in the field of tourism and Battle was no exception.
Where were all the new ideas and innovations? Apart form English Heritage's rather controversial new 'Visitor Centre' when did English Heritage or the Town Council present the last really worthwhile new tourism initiative to the town for consideration?
Kevin Dixon, who used to have the sweet shop, now suddenly appears to be the town's tourism guru, with the (cunning) plan of apparently simply handing over this precious activity to Rother District Council and to work more closely with 1066 Country. Rother's record on anything to do with tourism has always been pretty dismal.
1066 Country is run by Hastings Borough Council. After the recent tragedy in Hastings, its Council's Tourism Director, Kevin Boorman, said on television something along the lines that, "Student visitors are very important to Hastings. Over 30,000 of them come here annually."
Is this really what Battle wants?
MR. & MRS. J WILLIAMS
The Drive, Hove

Get rid of the Victorian concept of bonfires
AS a bonfire scholar I am well aware of the importance of the Sussex bonfire tradition. However, if you read over the work of Jim Etherington you will find that Sussex bonfire is far from a continuous tradition. It had an early beginning and was stronger than most but most Sussex societies record lapses in the celebration. Prominent interruptions include those for wartime when the celebrations were stopped.
I wish the efforts to work with Unesco well, however Sussex bonfire could do a few practical things to help preserve the tradition.
Perhaps the most important is to get rid of the Victorian concept of societies. These are more exclusive than they need to be (yes I know that they are generally open to all via membership) But...by creating groups of celebrants different and separate from spectators the degree of participation is limited. There should be no spectators. Just participants.
Additionally the holiday was always intended as a day to give thanks for deliverance from a great terror. The Power Plot Treason. Today we still should give thanks to those who protect us from terror each day through their sacrifices and for our general safety. Bonfire would do well to get back to the root. Get the day back into the prayer book as a national holiday.
A student of the history of bonfire will also recognise that many customs are no longer practised yet there is no reason for them to be further neglected. If Sussex bonfire reclaimed such customs as sending guy to protest corruption, dinners, bell ringing, pantomimes, etc... more people could be involved. It should be more than burning a bonfire, chants, fireworks etc.
So good luck to the bonfire boys and girls in their pursuit of recognition. However, with more attention to cultural detail and practice they can do much in addition to preserve and protect that which for all those who love Democracy and trace the roots of fair government to the British model is a national day of thanksgiving practised worldwide and not just in Sussex. There again by recognizing the worldwide significance of the deliverance - the preservation of Parliament and England from Absolutism (see William and Mary and Torbay also Fifth of November) the holiday will gain new life.
CONRAD BLADEY
Center for Fawkesian Pursuits Bonfire Society
Linthicum
Maryland USA

A letter to my husband who died 3 years ago
THIS morning, I received a letter addressed to my husband, who died three years ago. It was from a company called Lifeline Screening for Stroke Prevention. The screening was to take place in Winchelsea in October.
Needless to say, I found this letter extremely upsetting.
I would be interested to know if others in the same position as myself have received this letter and been as upset as I am.
I telephoned the company concerned on their freephone number. They were most apologetic and have promised to contact me with the name of the company who supplied them with wrong information. I await their reply.
MRS. MARION HEMSLEY
Whitefriars Road, Hastings

Thanks to a very, very kind lady
WOULD the kind lady who rang me up to say I had left my bus pass and Boots card in Budgens, please be kind once more and get in touch again. I received her message and assumed she was one of Budgens' staff, so I went round there and (stupidly) cancelled the message. However, Budgens do not have my cards.
I really should be grateful if the lady could contact me.
Thank you
ANNE FRANCIS
Mount Street, Battle

Tickets were far too expensive
MY ten-year-old daughter saw Girls Aloud at Battle Abbey and enjoyed it immensely (what ten-year-old wouldn't, I guess).
I attended the Proms the following night and found that equally enjoyable, as I have in previous years. Jae Alexander was up to his usual high standard, both as a conductor (he prefers the term 'maestro' he tells us) and, it must be said, as a talented, quick-witted comedian, who had the crowd in stitches - welcome back!
The Spitfire was a great addition at the opening of the concert, to the Dambusters' theme.
People left the battlefield with a great sense of feeling proud to be British.
The issue raised by producer, Mr. Wyke, was the noticeable drop in attendance, especially on Proms Night. Yes, there was the absence of a big name in Proms Night. I had vaguely heard of Wynne Evans (a very talented tenor, as it turned out), but I have never heard of soprano Janet Mooney, who was 'OK' at best.
I can answer the mystery - the extortionate price of tickets!
Most people, I'm sure, especially for the Proms Concert where people, by tradition, picnic, waited for a change in the weather before buying tickets. Unfortunately, on the day, tickets inflate from £25 to £33 to encourage people to buy in advance.
I went to the Abbey ticket office to purchase a Girls Aloud ticket for my ten-year-old daughter on the day of the concert. When I enquired as to the price, I was met with a curt response, "The tickets are £33 each, no concessions for children, or anyone"
I decided not to pay the inflated price and I'm glad I did. I managed to purchase one for £20 later from someone who couldn't go.
As it rained all day on Sunday, I waited until 7pm before venturing to the Abbey. Again, I managed to purchase a ticket at a greatly reduced price from someone who couldn't attend. In both instances, if I had been unable to purchase the tickets at the reduced prices, I wouldn't have gone. Of course, no less money went to the organisers as the original prices had been paid.
We are not talking about filling seats in a theatre (even the gigantic O 2 Arena), where there is a maximum audience seating dispensation. We are talking about an enormous 1066 Battlefield, where an audience of 20,000 could be comfortably facilitated, even lost. If the tickets for these events were reduced to, say, £15 with no surcharge for purchases on the day, instead of £25 and £33, then far more tickets would have been sold. Even at the reduced prices, the producers would have made even more money than they did at the normal prices.
With the infamous 'credit crunch' affecting most peple's pockets, expensive tickets are not exactly the top of their list of priorities.
C. LLEWELLYN-JONES
Bowlings Corner, Sedlescombe

Councils' responses are negligible
I READ Mr Langley's letter in the Observer on August 22 with obvious interest and sympathy.
Winchelsea Speed Watch would be delighted to assist and advise Broad Oak. We were given great support by Ringmer, which pioneered Community Speed Watch in East Sussex, and are happy to pass that on to others. We have already had visitors from two villages in Rother. Our contact details have been provided to the Editor to pass on to Mr Langley.
Mr Langley's letter illustrates the most depressing aspect of the whole problem. Despite villages almost universally citing the need to tame speeding traffic as a local priority, the response from the County, District and many Parish Councils is negligible. The usual refrain is that "It's a problem everywhere", as though this absolves others from trying to solve the problem.
Matters have not been helped by the shrinkage of the real budget for traffic policing in Sussex by the County. Fortunately, the introduction of neighbourhood policing in Sussex and greater sensitivity to local issues opened the door to Winchelsea getting Community Speed Watch. It took five years, but it is worth it.
RICHARD COMOTTO
High Street
Winchelsea

Macmillan Cancer Support gardens success
I SHOULD like to thank all those who visited Merriments Gardens on Thursday August 28. The Gardens were opened in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and a magnificent £526.50 was raised. Every penny from the entry money to the gardens was donated to the Charity.
A big thank you is due to Merriments for their generous gesture and to all the contributors to local Village Voice columns for advertising the event.
EVELYN GOODSELL
Langham Road, Robertsbridge

Long awaited roundabout is in hand
ONCE again I feel compelled to write. I would like to reassure Battle residents that contrary to the implication in Cllr. Jenkins, letter in last week's "Observer" the long awaited roundabout at the junction of Powdermill Lane is in hand.
Those of us who live in the town know that Battle Area Transport Strategy group had its initial meetings some years ago. These meetings were led by East Sussex County Council, the Highway Authority, and were open and very inclusive involving all those with an interest in traffic problems in the town. A series of measures was identified to improve the situation. Unfortunately not everything can be done at once and implementation has been a little slow in getting underway. There is a variety of reasons for this but an important one is that planning, design and consultation is a lengthy process. A great deal of work has, however, been done to move the Powdermill Lane junction improvement plans forward.
Turning once again to Battle Partnership, I cannot agree that the Partnership did not have a project when Rother took away its funding. As I have said before, it was the view of the board that the money it used to help small local organisations lever in money for schemes to help their communities was an essential and worthwhile project in its own right.
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN FIELD