LETTER: Colne-Skipton rail link is ‘impossible dream’

Vice-chairman Peter Nowland accused me of “mocking” Selrap’s intentions, and there was also mild criticism from Derek Mann, a leading rail link advocate from Colne.

They were, of course, perfectly entitled to put me in the dock, as was the lady supporter who rang me at home and branded me “bitter” about Selrap. Not guilty, m’lady.

The fact is that in a decade of following Selrap’s progress - or more accurately the lack of it - I have never once questioned the laudability of the organisation’s aims and intentions. What I’ve frequently questioned is whether there is the slightest hope of these expectations ever being fulfilled.

Selrap’s £40m. bid for Government cash, reported a couple of weeks ago, contained some quite impossible to justify statistics on both financial and employment fronts should the bid succeed.

Mr Nowland, in your last issue, agreed he could be something of a dreamer in his financial estimations. Not to worry too much, Mr vice-chairman.

If you don’t have a dream, you’ll never have a dream come true. That’s what the sultry Bali islander sang in the wonderful musical “South Pacific”. It’s impossible to argue with that and Selrap’s patient members could do worse than adopt it as their anthem.

On the other hand, there’s that beautiful ballad “Dream the Impossible Dream” which could be a tad more appropriate.

ERIC GREENWOOD

Beaufort Street, Nelson