York’s Banana Warehouse: Site of Further Viking Discoveries?

With the Roman Quarter (Eboracum) virtually non-existent for the foreseeable future, there cannot be a more interesting and potentially interesting historical place in York.

With the Viking Coppergate site just a stone’s throw away on the other side of the River Foss and the Fossgate/Walmgate areas having a known Viking background, now is the time to undertake a comprehensive deep excavation of the site.

This should at least reach the depth of the Viking Center discoveries before it’s too late and gets covered in concrete.

DM Deamer,

Penley’s Grove Street,

Monkgate,

York

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Good luck to Shapps in his new role as Defense Secretary

I was a little shaken when Grant Shapps was announced as the new Defense Secretary, replacing the rather combative Ben Wallace.

The new Chief Minister of Defense had been visiting ministerial houses for some time; In fact, he was Minister of State for Housing and Local Government for a time.

Will this new appointment upset Russia or China? Will Shapps master the art of saber rattling?

Hardly a heavyweight, let’s just hope he can cut the mustard in these dangerous and unpredictable times or when the going gets tough (sounds like a wardroom tradition!).

Hopefully he proves to be capable and decisive and doesn’t just sit on defense.

In the meantime, we wish him all the best for his tank suitability test.

Derek Reed,

Middlethorpe Drive,

York

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Heat pumps are too loud

It appears the government has concerns about installing air source heat pumps in every home as it recently launched a review.

There is concern that heat pumps may be too noisy and should not be installed in quiet residential areas.

There used to be a little blackbird that sang to us first thing every spring morning, but for a few years now it has been silent.

Perhaps the acoustic frequency hum of a nearby heat pump could be the reason?

It hits us straight away: the colder the weather, the louder it is.

Mary Morton,

Hob Moor Drive,

Holgate,

York

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What is your view?

Email: Letters@thepress.co.uk

Limit your letter to 250 words or less and include your full name, address and cell phone number

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China’s challenges

OUR Foreign Minister’s visit to the People’s Republic of China must have been an extremely sobering experience.

Discussing with people whose political ideology is completely at odds with ours and trying to determine whether what they have said is fact, untruth or outright lies must be detrimental to serious, meaningful debate.

But when I think about it, the chances of China becoming an open, democratic, free-speaking, honest country are just as good as the chances of me getting a hole-in-one on a 600-yard par 5.

Peter Rickaby,

West Park,

Selby,

North Yorkshire

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See who’s back!

Voles live in the stream here in the village of Osbaldwick. The good news is that they only live in CLEAN water!

John Zimnoch,

Osbaldwick,

York