'Call for West Midlands velodrome to support growing community activities' - Your Letters and a picture of the Royal Oak crossroads captured in 1972

Having been a dedicated cyclist for over 60 years I have followed with interest the calls for a Birmingham/Black Country based Velodrome. Back in 2022, like many, I was utterly disgusted that yet again the Midlands would lose out to London – No Birmingham Velodrome for the Commonwealth Games!

Although retired from competition I am still a very active coach, taking groups to the tracks at Manchester, Newport in Wales and Derby which are all a fair distance to travel – London and Glasgow being out of the question! All these facilities are often fully booked months in advance, and such trips take a lot of planning. However, I am encouraged to see schools and groups from the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury areas making the journey to Derby for example.

So, I wondered, is it the image that the name ‘Velodrome’ conjures up that is holding back things in the Midlands and what is a Velodrome really? In reality, a velodrome is a multi-sport, leisure, conference, entertainment and performing arts centre for all ages and abilities! 

Such activities include badminton, table tennis, five-a-side football, yoga, Pilates, gym/exercise classes, dance classes, Zumba, plays and even pantomimes to list but a few! My plea goes out to The West Midlands Mayor Mr Richard Parker and to all the political parties to pull together and get a velodrome built and so leave a lasting and useful legacy for the community.

Robin Kyte, Shrewsbury

Flagging up a big mistake

I spent the two-minute silence at the Remembrance Sunday parade glancing round, as you do. I noticed a prime example of Wolverhampton - and the UK at it's very best: the Union flag flying upside down.

You get one simple job to do and…

Trevor Howard, Wolverhampton

Streets are dirty and dangerous

Unsanitary streets littered with broken glass and dangerous glass shards have become a walking hell in Darlaston for baby buggies, our babies and young children.

Littered streets covered in broken glass shards pose significant risk to baby buggy walkers babies and young children. The threat of injury and damage to baby buggies cannot be overestimated.

Buggy wheels are often covered in unsanitary waste such as dog poo, human faeces and discarded waste food mess. Imagine taking this toxic mix into your house on buggy wheels!

Along with the glass debris, uneven pavements, pot holes, fly tipping, vehicle obstruction, noise pollution from fuel injected cars, car horn misuse and open bin lid littering, buggy walking has become injurious to people’s health.

Instead of street cleaners being garaged in Brownhills and driven across the breadth of Walsall Borough it is time for Darlaston to have its own street cleaning vehicles.

Darlaston urgently needs its own street cleaning services delivered from local sites and resources, based in Darlaston Town Hall or George Rose Park sites.

Baby buggies aren't cheap. Not everyone can afford new wheels every time they are damaged by glass or buckled by obstructions and pot holes on pavements.

How can outdoor activity, supposedly good for our children’s health, be encouraged if streets are littered with 'Darlaston diamonds' - dangerous shards of broken glass.

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