Letters
Some recent news from Middlesbrough [July 2006]
We had a very nice coffee morning at David
Simon's home in Stokesley. He also invited Darlington Reform shul
members. This was about four months ago and the Minister for
Small Communities, Rev. Malcolm Weisman gave us a very interesting talk
about his travels to small commnities and described some very small
shuls that are hardly used nowadays, but lovely buildings in themselves.
Our last coffee morning about 10 months ago
was also at David Simon`s home, when he invited the Mayor of
Middlesbrough, Cllr. Ray Mallon, who also gave a fascinating talk.
Then, in February [2006]
Yetta Rothfield,
very sadly died.
The Doberman`s from Marton left to move to
the Jewish Home in Newcastle, called the Philip Cussins home in Gosforth.
They seem to be settling in well.
Middlesbrough is changing rapidly with
modernisation. Our big new football stadium is called the Riverside
stadium, courtesy of Cellnet! This stands near the Transporter and they
have just now started building a massive leisure and shopping mall
complex called Middlehaven, just near the new football ground.
We also have the recently opened Tees
Barrage, which provides national water-rafting and international
competitions! So the skyline on Teesside is changing - for the better -
although many people don`t like the loss of some of the countryside.
And, of course, houses are going up
everywhere. The big argument at the moment is on Newport Road, with the
proposed demolition of the old Royal Infirmary (now closed). A leading
supermarket chain wants to develop the site, but Middlesbrough council
and many, many residents are very much opposed to this superb old
building coming down!
Gwen Lamb
Middlesbrough, England
[Ed note: Gwen
continues to be a staunch defender of Israel in the local
press. Here are two recent examples:
Northern Echo 25
July 2006
Northern Echo 22 August 2006]
I have just attended a very moving ecumenical thanksgiving
service in which the attached list of names from the service were read
out in Newcastle and you can see Yetta [Rothfield] is fourth on the
right. I was moved to tears - it was all very dignified, but all very
sad. We lit a candle in her memory, then there was tea/coffee/biscuits
and a chance to talk to the Medical lecturers and students, who all said
how much it was a magnificent, altruistic, selfless thing to do in order
to progress and benefit medical science for future generations.
It was what Yetta wanted, but I can't help feeling that
someone should be saying kaddish for Yetta bat Esther.
Gwen Lanb
22 November 2006
