York Millennium Bridge plaque: Duke of York name debate

Try to erase history is something I associate with the authoritarian regimes of North Korea and the Soviet Union, though I know that other countries have done similar things.

Accepting that whoever is in power can change the history of a city or a nation is a slippery slope.

It is a fact that the man did unveil the plaque for the Millennium Bridge. I would be more comfortable if the plaque simply acknowledged how things subsequently turned out.

How about a plaque that read: THE YORK MILLENNIUM BRIDGE, This plaque was unveiled by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor on 29 MAY 2001 prior to his losing his titles as a prince and as Duke of York.

That way you aren’t trying to rewrite history, you are putting it into context.

Christian Vassie

Blake Court

Wheldrake

York

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Plaque covering can’t alter history

Some years ago in America, Wall Mart, one of the most popular department stores over there, suggested that The Beatles album cover of Abbey Road should be altered because Paul McCartney was holding a cigarette.

This attempt to censor a piece of history failed. The now Andrew Mountbatten Windsor may be an embarrassment, may be crass, may be incredibly insensitive …but, when he WAS Prince Andrew, he DID open York’s Millennium Bridge and no amount of plaque covering can alter that.

Imagine if it was suddenly discovered that Da Vinci was a rapist or Beethoven was a paedophile, would they be stricken from history?

Would their paintings or music be banned? Just because someone screws up royally (pun intended) in the present, it does not mean that their past deeds should be erased also.

There are still a million documentaries about Hitler being broadcast daily and I don’t think that – fascists aside – many people think he was OK.

Nigel Cummings

Charlton Street

York

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Disused Clifton Airfield was the ultimate playground

Like Derek Reed I too can just remember the air display. We watched it picnicking with family friends from the top of one of the bomb shelters behind their farm in Rawcliffe village.

Though a very small child at the time, I can recall lots of noises and planes which  undoubtedly started my lifelong interest in all things aviation.

Being brought up next to the disused Clifton Airfield, I can say that it was the ultimate kids’ playground with toilets, taps and, in one hut, a working phone!

I must confess though, we may have contributed to the rapid deterioration of some of the facilities!

Philip Welch

Sutton upon Derwent

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