Leeds City Council made a big error when they allowed the South Accommodation Road bridge to be dismantled and then putting up a plaque calling that area Richmond Bridge, which is nothing to do with the Richmond Hill area.

John Smeaton was born outside Leeds, at Austhorpe, in 1724, therefore I do not see the relevance of naming the flyover after him. Surely we need a name/title that is applicable to the area of South Accomodation/Hunslet.

On discussing this subject with friends who grew up in this area many suggestions were put forward, amongst them were – the George Mann, McLaren, Kitson, and Hudswell and Clark flyover after the big engineering works in that area. Or even name the flyover after one of the public houses on South Accomodation, ie the Prince of Wales or Queensway flyover.

Another suggestion was from George Atack, who lived and went to school in South Accomodation and whose school was situated under the site of the present flyover. It was unanimously agreed by everyone that the Premier Way (named after the cinema which was located on South Accommodation Road) would be an excellent name for the flyover.

Also, bearing in mind that this road starts from Pontefract Lane across through the Cross Green industrial estate, why not the Cross Green Way? Or, as it winds its way down over the Snake Lane playing fields, Snake Lane Way, as the new East Leeds Radial certainly snakes its way over to the motorway?

Some of these suggestions maybe tongue-in-cheek but I am sure the many people who grew up in this area that has been decimated over the years would rather have any of these titles for the flyover than the John Smeaton or the Angel's Way flyover.

Graham Hawkridge, Leeds


Re naming of the new Leeds bridge.

Angels are an invisible and a mythical creation and that is how it should stay as far as I can see, unless of course all other firms will also be allowed to erect on top of any public building, as Paul Scholfield seemed to suggest, their own personal firms' logos on any cheapskate publicity stunt to advertise their very own personal works' products. Surely the skyline of Leeds is cluttered up enough already.

Why not let the new bridge be named after John Smeaton, a Leeds-born Yorkshireman who in his lifetime did many wonderful services to humanity and country?

Just read of his many achievements in civil engineering and steam power which he never got the credit for – his lighthouse building when all others failed, plus construction improvement work on harbours all over the country. He constructed a water pump at Temple Newsam House to bring fresh water for the residents' needs, also a huge 30ft water wheel was built and installed by him at Foundry Mill Farm, Foundry Lane, Seacroft, for the iron works.

He never got his true acclaim because he would not conform to the namby-pamby ways of his southern peers in the Government "darn sarf" at the time.

Surely now is the time for Leeds city councillors and the public to wake up and recognise one of its most industrious and most forward-thinking citizens of any time that Leeds as a city has claim to.

NAME AND ADDRESS WITHHELD


Given that I live only a couple of miles from the birthplace of John Smeaton, one might suppose that the suggestion of Robert Lawrence, President of East Leeds History and Archaeology Society, that the 'father of civil engineering' be commemorated in the new and impressive viaduct nearing completion in Hunslet is one I would wholeheartedly support.

I think, however, that another worthy of Leeds has, perhaps, a prior claim to this distinction.

I refer to Hunslet-born bricklayer and stone mason, Joseph Aspdin who, by Royal Charter (George 1V) dated October 1824 patented his revolutionary invention, Portland Cement and so laid the foundation of all subsequent large scale structures, including the Empire State Building (1931) the mighty Hoover Dam (1935) and more recently the Petronas Towers standing some 1482.6 ft (1996).

As is often the case the 'prophet in his own land' goes unrecognised and it took the American Portland Cement Association in 1924 at the joint British/American cement manufacturers Centennial Celebrations marking Aspdin's achievement, to erect a plaque in his honour in Leeds Town Hall.

Is it therefore now time to 'cement' forever the reputation of this 'Hunslet lad made good' in his home town by his ain folk?

Richard T Strudwick, Manston Avenue, Cross Gates, Leeds