Did you attend Batley Town Hall on Saturday May 18?

I read with interest Dr Matt Shepherd’s reply to Dr Thimmegowda’s letter highlighting the Nicholls report which condemns the closure of local hospitals and/or their services which then necessitates extra transport times to larger regional centres.

As clinicians we rarely want to enter into debate with colleagues in the pages of the media. However, we are concerned that the details contained in Dr Thimmegowda’s letter are misleading and may cause unnecessary alarm for local people.

The Mid Yorkshire Health Authority’s spin, supported by Miss Fishwick, consultant gynaecologist, in the Dewsbury Reporter, May 11, for changes in women’s and children’s services is yet again astonishing to say the least.

I wonder why we cannot have our bowling greens fenced off?

I am trying to find out about Pat Meehan who was a very generous benefactor of the Holy Spirit Church in Heckmondwike.

Like many of your readers, I registered with Community Energy Direct so that I could take advantage of their offer to use “the power of thousands of consumers ... to source better energy deals”. I provided them with my annual energy usage figures and awaited their response.

I went into Huddersfield last week on business.

Issues of health and safety should not be trivialised so I’m pleased that Sarah Hall who made criticism of the compensation culture in her recent column made clear her support of the importance of health and safety in the workplace.

A new scheme aiming to boost market trade across Kirklees is to be launched next week.

I am Cyril Stansfield, currently living in Batley, but I was born and brought up in Mirfield.

I am usually a Conservative voter. I am also on the committee of Save Local Hospital Services, it does not stop me whoever joins our group.

It appears that the chair of North Kirklees CCG, Dr David Kelly, cares little for the NHS as an institution.

I have no idea if it was the Batley News’s intention to make Susan Mallinson appear foolish (Letters, May 2), but I am surprised you allowed her letter to be published, with such an obvious error of fact.

In reference to the recent letter from Pauline Holmes of Dewsbury regarding the proposed closure of the public toilets in Batley, it is an old trick to let something fall into disrepair, not maintain it and then say no-one is using it.

I paid a visit the other weekend to the St Luke’s arts festival in Cleckheaton and was impressed with the range of work on display.

I read with interest the three articles relating to schools in last week’s Batley and Birstall News.

I would like to clarify my position on NHS ‘privatisation’ following the claims made by Mike Wood MP (Batley New, April 25) that I had pledged to resign if the House of Lords voted through the Government’s latest proposals to open NHS services up to wider competition.

Given the government’s hostility to council house tenants and anyone claiming benefits, it is hardly surprising only a few people have bothered contacting Dewsbury’s Tory MP Simon Reevell regarding the Bedroom Tax (News, April 26).

May I say how much I agree with Sarah Hall about the people who run marathons for charity. What some of them do, without a proper athletic background, and very often in heavy, outlandish, fancy dress, is quite awesome.