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Feedback Archive 2


ARCHIVE INDEX: Cows escaping from the Common

On June 21st, Mark Brown (brown@iowave.physics.uiowa.edu) wrote in responce to the cows escaping news story:

I have a suggestion that might be worth mentioning to the people who want to keep the cows in the commons without hindering "people traffic". For all I know, this might have been invented in Europe.

In my youth, I once worked for a family that had quite a few dairy cattle. In order to be able to freely drive a tractor into the cow yard, or to walk in and out, they used an alternative to fences in one spot. They had a concrete trench about a yard wide and a foot deep, set up to drain properly and to be cleaned when necessary. The trench was topped by steel tubes about four inches in diameter and separated by about three inches, if memory serves well. The cows wouldn't cross for fear of breaking a leg between the steel tubes, but the tractor could drive right over it. It was no problem for a careful person to cross, but it might not be suitable for the general population.

Ben Aldhouse wrote back:

I expect that the council are somewhat concerned that kiddies might get hurt. The most vulnerable people though, would be the persons of diminished stability who would have to traverse these in droves at night when the Fort St. George pub closes!


ARCHIVE INDEX: Bury St. Edmunds - cross and library

On June 14th., Joanne Chernow (joanne@escape.com) wrote to the Virtual Tourist:

Will be in Cambridge for a week in September and am curious about Bury St. Edmunds. Thomas Hoving wrote a book a few years ago about the Bury St. Edmund's Cross, which he acquired for the Cloisters here in New York. Do you know if there's anything left of the monastery that was there? I believe the monastery library has ended up in a museum in Cambridge. Would like to know if it's worth trying to get to Bury St. Edmund's from Cambridge on public transportation. Thanks!

ARCHIVE INDEX: The Virtual Tourist wrote back:

I've asked a few questions about Bury St. Edmunds since getting your email. The person I spoke to was confident that the monastery is now called The Old Abbey and comprises of a 'big Abbey gate' and a few other ruins that are enclosed in park land.
If you would like to find out more about the library I would recommend you write to:
Mr. P. Woudhuysen
Librarian
Fitzwilliam Museum
Trumpington Street
Cambridge CB2 1RB
(I don't have an email address off hand although you may be able to find a Fitzwilliam information source via the Cambridge Resources link in ECOLN's 'features' page)


ARCHIVE INDEX: Happy reader, adverts and Wisbech.

On 10th June, Beryl Worrall (bworrall@compusmart.ab.ca) wrote:

I really enjoyed going through your on line newspaper, I especially enjoy reading the local news (being an ex-pat), I was hoping to see more local adverts, the ones for cars for sale in the US sent me for a loop, I thought perhaps there was a Wisbech in the US also !

ARCHIVE INDEX: Ben Aldhouse replies

I'm glad you enjoy ECOLN. I share your sentiments about the advertising whole heartedly. ECOLN's readership has been rising steadily at around 5% per week over the last ten weeks or so. Demon Internet currently send a list of 'hits' each week which now include details of around 5000 hits per week. These figures represent an absolute minimum readership since files are re-distributed by proxy servers and Demon Internet would have no way of knowing when this happens. ECOLN has (inadvertantly) raised World Wide awareness of Wisbech (Could this be the true meaning of WWW?) and hopes to do a lot more (purposeful) awareness raising for dosh providing causes.

ARCHIVE INDEX: Divorce

From Dean Hughson - dean@primenet.com

I would like to inform you that the DIVORCE HOMEPAGE is available for your readers who need support during a divorce or the chaos afterwards. it can be reached at http://www.primenet.com/~dean/ and has links to lots of information. Please publicize this free service if possible.

Dean Hughson
DIVORCE HOMEPAGE
http://www.primenet.com/~dean/
tel 816-484-3481
dean@primenet.com


ARCHIVE INDEX: Wisbech?

From: Paul Galpin - galpinp@sabc.co.za

I looked at your "Area map" and it didn't seem to cover Wisbech (or Leverington) Is this outside your beat? Surely Wisbech is in East Cambridgeshire, unless the Isle of Ely has been revived!

Spare a thought for us ex-pats languishing in furrin parts.

ARCHIVE INDEX: Ben Aldhouse replies

When I started ECOLN I wanted to cover just Soham (Soham being the centre of the known Universe) - unfortunately practicalities demanded that I stretched the region to that far off, strange place - Cambridge where in spite of their remote location (beyond Styx Fen) they are fairly good at keeping up with the communications technology that we make such good use of here in Soham. I'm not saying that Wisbech is less deserving of ECOLN's attention than Cambridge - just that when I (reluctantly) decided to expand the region of Soham On-Line News (and consequently rename it) - it just so happened that the region expanded Cambridgewards rather than Wisbechwards. You will notice from the ECOLN map, however, that Soham is in the very centre of the ECOLN area - as is proper.

I acknowledge that from the level of interest shown in Wisbech (here is someone else with an interest) that it is about time that someone organised Wisbech's own presence on the 'Internet'. I will even provide them with web server space!

As a concession to Wisbechophiles all over the world I have scanned a map of Cambridgeshire (gif 119509 bytes) from my 1976 Philip 'Modern' School Atlas that includes Wisbech.


ARCHIVE INDEX: Ethnic cleansing...in the U.K.? encouraged the following reply from "W.Appleton" - email B9301@saturn.newi.ac.uk:

I was rather distressed to hear the piece upon literary cleansing. I feel that you have overstepped the mark considerably and find it extremely difficult to understand why you would wish to portray their plight as some underhanded form of ethnic cleansing?

The term 'ethnic cleansing' brings up images of nazi politics and of the disgusting attrocities carried out. I believe it is a terrible thing to compare legislative change in a democratic state with mass murder!

I do not see why people who do not lead a nomadic lifestyle should fund an antiquated(although appealing and admirable)lifestyle! A significant part of my ancestry has been considered as Gypsies, and I still hold precious the ideals I was made aware of at an early age.

In my experience the real Gypsies are not necessarily the people with a nomadic lineage, but instead are the people who live a nomadic lifestyle through choice and who live off their own means. To live in a caravan does not (or should not) entitle a person to state dispensation. If a person lives in this country they should abide by the laws of the land! If they do not agree to live by the laws of the land, they should use the democratic right to vote and have laws changed. An oversimplified view you might say, but I believe the most fair.

I eagerly await response

ARCHIVE INDEX: ECOLN replies:

Thanks for your reply to the ECOLN article 'Ethnic cleansing...in the U.K.?'. In your letter you make valid points. You say that Gypsies do not necessarily have to come from nomadic lineage- but are people who have adopted the way of life. ECOLN agrees - in this respect the term 'traveller' would perhaps have been appropriate in some parts of the article. However, ECOLN was keen to write up some of the history of 'travelling peoples' in the article - and used the word 'Gypsy' simply because it was used universally in the source material. It is however, a very vague term and becoming increasingly redundant - possibly for the reasons described in the article as much as any other.

ECOLN also agrees that we should all use our democratic rights to change laws which are unfair. However, many people who move house or who have been out of the country at the time when the electoral roll is updated will become aware that they have to struggle harder to maintain their democratic rights. It might well be the case that it is so difficult for nomadic people to keep their democratic rights that in many cases they are just given up.


ARCHIVE INDEX :Dr. Peter Richardson of Dialogue Consultants wrote on 20/3/95:

I think the new issue of Ecoln is good - I hope other people are equally impressed.

And the advert - looks good. Even though I can't get any graphics over lynx, and of course didn't send any for the ad, I think it looks like a great boost to the Dialogue company image.

A satisfied customer.

PR

ARCHIVE INDEX: davidh@harlequin.co.uk, "David Hembrow" wrote on 19/4/95:

Not to complain too much, but isn't it a bit silly for the classified ads in ECOLN to have a US bias ? I'm not going to buy a car which is in New York City, and clearly the person who posted that ad in the first place was not paying much attention to where they were putting it.

Local classified advertisments are far more useful, but they could easily be swamped by a huge quantity of ads posted from elsewhere.

David.

ARCHIVE INDEX: ECOLN replies:

David,

Thanks for your feedback about ECOLN. Although it's not ECOLN's intention to have a U.S. bias - ECOLN is keen to demonstrate the global market that is accessible to potential advertisers. ECOLN is very keen to see people from Cambridge and East Cambridgeshire advertise in ECOLN (surprise, surprise) and takes this opportunity to point out the low-cost (actually free for some non-commercial ads) of advertising in ECOLN and that the adverts *are* seen - judging from the dramatically increasing number of 'hits' that the ECOLN web site registers each week - and from feedback such as yours.


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