Letters to the Editor

GLOBAL WARMING

From M L Chelk

I read the Society's April Newsletter with interest until I was surprised to find an article 'Do You Trust Science?' by Mike Brain on the subject of global warming. Surely this is not an appropriate subject for the Newsletter. If we have articles on global warming we can go on with articles about evolution, religion, the war in Iraq and other contentious subjects but that is not what The Ipswich Society is for.

Mr Brain argues that his boiler is sound and we should therefore trust that claims of global warming must be correct. This does not seem much of an argument. We now know that the scientists at the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia made their case for global warming by manipulating the evidence and illegally withholding the data it was based on. Mr Brain refers to this as errors but those concerned deliberately misled the public and the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change who relied on their reports. This is not science and the results of such manipulation are certainly not to be trusted. Besides, there is no single scientific view on the matter. There are many professional climatologists who do not accept global warming. That is why the CRU found it necessary to play these tricks.

A REPLY TO MR CHELK'S LETTER

From Mike Brain

I thank Mr Chelk for his interest in my article, and the opportunity to seek to reconcile our divergent views. Locally, adapting to climate change is recognised in the Borough's Local Development Framework as one of the key challenges for Ipswich over the plan period to 2025, being prominent in Policy CS1 on Sustainable Development and Climate Change.

It must therefore also be an essential element in the Society's business.

And with regard to the University of East Anglia, very many more newspaper column inches were devoted to the alleged manipulation of climate data by the Climatic Research l-nit than to reporting that two independent enquiries have since vindicated UEA of any such

At eight sides of A4, my complete reply to Mr Chelk is far too lengthy to print in full in the Newsletter, but I welcome e-mail requests to mikebrainl@btinternet.com from any Society members who would like to receive a digital copy.

[P.S. Mr Chelk has replied at length to Mike Brain, who has replied in turn, also too lengthily for the Newsletter, important though the correspondence is. Editor]

SHARED SPACE

From Roger Jarrold

In respect of the interesting article by John Norman in April's Newsletter on Shared Spaces I would just like to make one important point.

My Best Man and ex-National Service colleague has been blind since the age of 40. He is now 75 and lives in Brighouse, Yorkshire. He is now on his fourth guide dog Sparky and when we have discussed Shared Space schemes he has said that the total absence of kerbs makes the job of the dog impossible as normally the kerb gives it the signal to stop.

VIVID MEMORIES OF THE ORIGINS OF CLIFF QUAY POWER STATION

From David Routh

On page 19 of the April Newsletter, 'Selling the Town's Silver', the new power station at Cliff Quay was built after the Second World War and not in 1935. The main contractors were Edmund Nuttall Sons & Co (London) Ltd.

I was a young 17 year old Sales Representative for Bayleys Printers Ltd of 24 Falcon Street, Ipswich and always looking for new business in the Ipswich area. I went on my cycle late one afternoon in December 1946 (almost dusk) to Cliff Quay and met a workman whom I knew helping to level the site and he directed me to a large wooden shed in the middle of the area which served as Nuttall's office. I banged on the door and was invited to enter, to be confronted by three gentlemen, Mr Bradford, the manager, Mr J Gethin, the clerk and a Mr Knights. They asked me what I wanted and I informed them I represented Bayleys and could I sell them some printing and stationery. They replied that I was just who they were looking for and gave me an order - mainly scribbling pads to a value of £5-2 shillings, which was a decent order as I was earning about £2-10 shillings a week. We continued to supply them for the next few years. In February 1949 we supplied and billed British Electricity Authority, Cliff Quay Power Station in the newly built office. Our first order for £3-17 shillings must have been soon after they opened.

Incidentally, in the same Newsletter page 20, 'Blue Plaques', the last paragraph should read 'Sir Daniel Ford Goddard' and 'Clifford Grey" should be with an 'e'.