Footbridge will be fondly remembered

After the stinging comments by readers to my letter in the Peninsula News of August 6, about the naming of the Spike Milligan Bridge, Ioffer the following reply.

Marie Andrews did say to me that she would prefer to have the bridge named after Keith O'Connell, a former Labor Party member, because the Labor Party paid for half of the bridge.

She failed to say that it was taxpayers' money.

Then she claims that because I do not live on the Peninsula then I should not have a say in the matter.

The Council and the Sun newspaper surveys for a name for the bridge did not state that you had to be a resident of the Peninsula and the petitions that I presented to Council were the signatures of 340 Peninsula residents.

These residents at least openly showed their support for the Spike Milligan name.

Marie Andrews did not think Spike Milligan was a suitable name for the bridge because he was a Pommie.

Captain Cook was also a Pommie and he has a bridge named after him.

My wife and I were formerly residents of the Peninsula and we still visit our friends there regularly.

I cannot understand why the NSW Labor Party and its followers are so against the Spike Milligan name.

Surely crime, vandalism, drugs, water and a host of other matters should rate more highly than the naming of a cycleway.

Do they think the ghost of Spike will be coming back to invade the homes and reap havoc on the daily lives of Peninsula residents?

Regardless of what complaints some may have to the Spike Milligan bridge name or whatever is decided to call it, I am sure that most of the Woy Woy population will fondly remember this footbridge as the Spike Milligan Bridge for many years to come

Rod Fountain Erina