THE new year has always been a time to look back over the past and forward into the future.

We can all learn from the past as it gives us an understanding of the way things have come about and where they are heading.

To the eye of the present day shopper, Arnold is a modern suburb of Nottingham.

What most people don't know is that it is in fact a very old settlement with a history going back some 6,000 years.

It is nice to see therefore that Arnold has a very active local history group, which started its year with another course on the history of Arnold in the library.

Its regular meetings also started on Tuesday at the Labour Club in High Street, also at 7pm.

Both aim to look at the long and interesting history of Arnold and how this has shaped its present. It is a must for anyone interested in where Arnold and its people came from.

New members or guests are welcome at any of the meetings. It's always well worth a visit.

BOB MASSEY

Worrall Ave

Arnold

I WOULD like to congratulate the Nottingham Post on the new format.

It's much bigger and better with lots more to read and articles which are very interesting, such as the case of the teenager from Keyworth who got murdered all those years ago.

How painful it must have been when her mum wrote the book about it, and how interesting it is in the Post reading about Tom Hiddleston, the actor who is appearing in the new film by Steven Spielberg.

What an honour that is for him.

So yes, the Nottingham Post is much improved. Well done.

I look forward to many more interesting reads in the weeks to come.

IRENE HARDMAN

Church Street

Ruddington

'WHO is your favourite Robin?', your paper asked (Saturday, January 7).

Without a doubt I can answer who was always mine, actor Errol Flynn.

He excelled himself as Robin Hood. Lots of other film stars took the role of Robin, to name a few, Richard Greene, Richard Todd, Kevin Costner, even Sean Connery, but no one did it better than Errol Flynn and the lovely Olivia de Havilland in the role of Maid Marian. I believe the film was made in 1938. I saw the film when I was a young girl at the Dale Pictures on Sneinton Dale (now demolished along with most of our cinemas).

Who, having watched this wonderful film, could ever forget the scene where Flynn enters Nottingham Castle through those massive doors with a stag slung across his shoulders, and throws it on the table to the amazement of King John and The Sheriff of Nottingham? No man ever looked like Errol did in green tights, or could handle a sword like he did, and swing from the lights. The scenes in Sherwood Forest with Friar Tuck and Little John battling in the stream to pass each other, I remember it all; the tender love scenes with Maid Marian. All together the film was wonderful, still is to this day. Errol Flynn played the part of Robin Hood to perfection, he even did all his own stunts, refusing to have a stunt man.

PS. You guessed it, he was my favourite actor of all time (I have the new release film now).

KATH PRICE

Plungar Close

Beechdale Estate

WE visited the Royal Concert Hall several times over the Christmas period, and were amazed the stage did not look festive – no flowers, no plants, no Christmas tree, in fact the word that springs to my mind is "scrooge".

The price of just one ticket would buy flowers for a week, I feel! The New Year concert was exactly the same – did someone forgot to "set the scene"?

We do hope that next year we will see some Christmas cheer.

A SHAW

Chilwell Lane

Bramcote

OH, how I wish Councillor Brian Grocock lived at Rise Park. Once again he has secured funds for yet more facilities for the young people of Bestwood Park, where he lives. How many play areas do they have now?

The Ridgway Adventure play area is always empty, more often than not closed. How much did that cost?

The only facility the youngsters of Rise Park have is a small play area suitable for under-eights.

Because it is a private estate it seems that our councillors do not think that our young people would appreciate the same sort of facilities the lucky children of Bestwood Park have.

Considering how much money goes from each home in Rise Park in Council tax, is it too much to ask that our own young people are given the same consideration.

CHRISTINE JOHNSON

Dunvegan Drive

Rise Park

HAVING just received the latest N.E.T. "Newsletter" regarding phase two of the Tram I was extremely disturbed by the kind of language used. "Land will be taken as and when it is needed… those affected will be informed as to when and the extend of the landtake…" (whether you like it or not presumably). Riding roughshod regardless of the consequences to the individuals affected is something which happens in less democratic countries than ours, I used to think.

This is 2012 not 1212; the taking of residential land by compulsory purchase (or worse) is in my view an infringement of anyone's civil liberties.

The tram itself is an outmoded concept, a self-indulgent council plaything at the taxpayers' expense which they insist upon flogging to death despite the fact that existing lines run half empty.

At the expense of those poor, distressed residents outside whose properties Line One thunders past, within inches of their front doors, the future for these poor people is a life of abject misery. In other cities trams have been tried and rejected as being disruptive and not cost-effective, but it would appear to me that this council has eyes and ears closed to responsible behaviour on this issue. The Workplace Parking Levy to finance the tram is, I believe, another hare-brained example of the militant attitude of the authorities. Those businesses being forced to pay towards the tram extensions should refuse en masse to indulge the council in what are "ransom" demands.

The masked highwaymen may have disappeared from our lands but it feels to me that they have been replaced!

DIANE TORR

Barnfield

Wilford