Letters

Why doesn’t York have World Heritage Status? - letters

Our letter writer asks if York missed the boat on UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Pictured St Mary's Abbey, one of the city's treasured monuments. <i>(Image: Newsquest)</i>
Our letter writer asks if York missed the boat on UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Pictured St Mary's Abbey, one of the city's treasured monuments. (Image: Newsquest)
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Did York simply miss the World Heritage boat?

Derek Reed feels hard done by that our beautiful city of York doesn’t have World Heritage Status (WHS).

Maybe we need to explore why that might be.

Since UNESCO first started giving WHS to sites of special cultural and natural significance around the world, in the 1970s, almost half of sites on the list are in Europe (that includes the UK for those who may have forgotten).

So our continent is well represented and the list includes many European cathedrals and historic cities.

You could argue that we simply missed the boat and should have applied for York to get World Heritage Status back in the 1980s when Durham and Canterbury applied and succeeded.

We do have 33 World Heritage sites in the UK, including Stonehenge, Fountain’s Abbey, Greenwich, Jodrell Bank, and Saltaire.

Truth is the UK has hardly participated; the country’s never hosted a World Heritage Committee’s annual meeting and has only sat on the committee once (2001 to 2005).

We must learn to make friends and show that we’re interested in promoting World Heritage sites across the world instead of being grumpy that no one notices us.

Maybe York could host a World Heritage Committee meeting!

Christian Vassie

Blake Court,

Wheldrake


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Could York be known as City of Iron?

Sheffield is known as the city of Steel and York could be known as the City of Iron.

It was great to see York Bid repainted iron in the city centre and hopefully other parts of the city will follow.

Sadly, there is much iron in disrepair - Bootham Park railings and a special piece of iron on Holgate from the Walkers Iron Foundry in Walmgate on Holgate Hill.

Timothy Wynn Werninck

Dodgson Terrace

Acomb

York

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Do CCTV photos really help solve crimes?

The Press frequently publishes photographs of people the police believe can help with their enquiries into crimes.

How often are these successful in solving the crimes?

R.Shenton

Connaught Way

York

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Party donations - grow up and get over it!

Two crypto billionaires have decided to donate considerable amounts to the Reform party (£36m each).

All the other parties are having a tantrum and stamping their feet angrily.

Now they are going to try and stop this donation, presumably as not being fair.

Oh dear, Diddums!

Angela Rainer, during an interview, refused to answer the question as to whether or not Labour would have accepted the donation.

It seems like it’s not only stamping feet because they haven’t been given a share, but teddy’s ears have also been pulled off.

Grow up and get over it.

Mick Horsman

Moorland Road

York

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Farage the benevolent?

With £72m in the bank, will Mr Farage be following the example of President Trump and be giving $5,000 (£3,700) to everyone in the country if he wins the next election?

D M Deamer

Penleys Grove Street

Monkgate

York


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