'HS2 - its original plan sounded as if it were the transport of the future' - Your Letters: July 29

The white elephant HS2, at the time and much like everyone else, we had no choice about it,. It was and has turned out to be a money pit, a project that was doomed from the onset. 

All the properties, all the people's lives that have and are still affected by this monstrosity were and never were a consideration in its planning. Those with the money and government wanted this road to hell of a train system and did not care one jot what it took. They wanted it and my god they were going to have it, no ifs no buts.

Its original plan sounded as if it were the transport of the future, it would travel at high speed, it would cut 20 minutes of the journey to London.

But now after one delay after another, after more alterations in its plans, after billions more being given to yet again to see no benefits to the people of this nation, we now see another delay with no date for its completion. 

But I think I know the reason for this further delay of a system that no ordinary person wants. While it keeps being delayed, there will still be people who will rejoice because the longer this hideous project is to go ahead those people are still on the bandwagon getting richer because they are all invested in it.

They will still be getting money from the poor old taxpayer, and just like top management in other national well known utilities and companies and organisations that rely on the taxpayer. They will keep getting richer.

This project is now past the point of no return and will have to get finished eventually, but what ever happened to written contracts where if delayed the builders were penalised and had monetary fines imposed upon them for those delays making them have the incentive to finish a job on time.

This nation in Victorian times were the builders of the western world, canals built, bridges built, ships built, tunnels built, you name it we built it and had the men who had the foresight to see it but today all we have is the Mr Magoo characters who are that poor of sight they only see pound signs, now we can't even lay two metal lines from one end of the nation to the other, just where are the men like those of yesteryear have we nothing like them anymore, it appears, not!

Pete Lowe, West Midlands

CELEBRATING THE SUMMER FETE

Thank goodness the fickle finger of fete has not damaged all our British institutions. With HS2 swallowing more money than even a striking Resident Doctor (is the BMA affiliated to the Unite Union?) and the poor NHS wilting under the sheer number of people it needs to treat, its little wonder we savour the continued flourishing of the Great British Summer Fete.

I am glad to report that no fickle finger of fete has stopped the Summer fete in Much-Wobbling-In-The-Marsh in deepest Norfolk, overseen by Great Uncle Ebenezer Gladstone Steggles. He reports children are still overeating nasty sweet things and parents are still arguing over their children eating nasty sweet things. The coconut shy did a roaring trade aided by just a touch of super glue on the hoop into which the coconut was hammered. Hardly any hoopla prizes were won thanks to some very fine clear plastic being attached to the prizes. The "Join The Labour Party" stall never open due to financial irregularities; they were skint.

Peter Steggles, Rushbury

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