IAN Colman’s letter (Gazette & Herald, September 26), speaking against the dualling of the A64, makes curious reading.

His essential case against this improvement seems to be that people will use the road more if it’s less prone to delays, overloading and dangerous overtaking challenges.

He says, rightly, that this development would make Ryedale more attractive for people who live here,

or want to. These effects, he believes, would be bad things. I disagree.

I think the residents of the “rat-run” villages will be delighted that this traffic no longer needs to spill over into their road, and that most businesses in Malton will welcome easier access for goods and (more) customers.

People travelling on the A64, for a variety of valid reasons, will welcome a predictable journey time with much less pointless delay. And, if on vacation from elsewhere in the country, they might consider returning.

He mentions air pollution, but doesn’t take into account the vastly increased pollution caused by stationary and crawling traffic in the queues, and not just in summer.

Modern vehicles travelling at a steady 70 or so generate much less pollution, and by the time this is completed, half will be electric anyway.

Public transport is indeed an important element of the overall transport strategy.

But it is not the whole story. And it is certainly not an alternative to bringing this major artery into the 21st century.

Let’s just get on with it.

David Hoggard, Malton

Thanks for support

MAY I, through your newspaper, thank all the organisations and individuals who have supported

in any way the displays held across Ryedale this summer by Kirkdale Heritage and Herbert Read

Group.

First, those who took on the task of looking after and curating the displays on our behalf.

Secondly, those who read the poetry presentations in Kirkbymoorside Community Library, with our hosts the library volunteers, whose fundraising will soon be present at Hovingham Farmers Market.

Support also came from statutory and voluntary groups, which include North Yorkshire County Council library service, Gilling and Kirkdale churches, history groups and many from the outside area such as The Green Howards Museum at Richmond and the Barbara Hepworth House in St Ives, The Samuel Taylor Coleridge Society and even a former British Council official visiting Ryedale on holiday.

We are now concentrating on an Untold Ryedale Story - the evacuees from Hull who came here from the Holderness Road School and with the Hull Untold Stories project.

The schools and families we know who hosted them from September 1, 1939, were Gilling, Harome and Hawnby.

There may well be others involved as these evacuees were very adventurous. We have an album of photographs of their time hereabouts.

If you can help, please contact us at johnopenlearning18@gmail.com or Kirkbymoorside Library.

John and Helen Dean, Beadlam

Farming campaign

IT’S been a difficult year for many in farming. From January to August this year, farming charity RABI – the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution – received 582 new referrals. That’s 582 individuals and families contacting us for the first time, seeking help.

Overall, we’ve given out £1.52 million this year, including more than £318,000 to working families. Each request for assistance is different, so we tailor the support we give.

We help people like council tenant farmer Tom, who lost 400 sheep last winter due to the bad weather. His income was down £30,000 on the previous year and he was struggling to pay household bills. We sent him a cheque for £3,000 to help with domestic debts so he and his family could get back on their feet.

The work we do makes a difference, but we can’t do it on our own. That’s why we’re holding Welly Week from Saturday, October 27, to Sunday, November 4, to raise awareness of us and what we do.

We’d like you and your friends/colleagues to wear your wellies to work, post your photos on social media and tell people all about it using the #wellyweek2018

We’ll also be giving a pairs of Grubs boots away each day in an online competition.

If you can make a donation, it would be greatly appreciated. Go to rabi.org.uk/donate to find out how.

Every donation, no matter how small, enables us to continue supporting farming people in financial hardship.

We hope you’ll stand up for British farmers this October by getting behind our Welly Week campaign. Thank you.

Paul Burrows, RABI chief executive