Have you ever worked with asbestos? Did you work for the Turner Brothers? Did any of your relatives work for the company? Do you remember worrying about dangers associated with the dust you were exposed to? Were you told about possible risks? Did you talk to friends or family about risks for your health related to your work?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions I would love to hear from you! I am a student at the University of Manchester and I am working on a history project about the dangers of asbestos and how informed employees were.

Please include the dates within which you or your relative worked with asbestos, and send your story, however big or small, to:

gemma_bowker@hotmail.com

or

Gemma Bowker C/o Dr Carsten Timmermann Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine Simon Building, Brunswick Street University of Manchester M13 9PL

Thank you. Your story is much appreciated.

Gemma Bowker

   I worked at TBA for some time in the late 50's . Raw blue asbestos was transported there most days and stored in buildings at the Harridge mill. The company even had their own railway line and a train by the name of "Hunslet". Thousands upon thousands of tons of asbestos was processed at the TBA site, the largest in the world. It is criminal that the taxpayers should have to pay for surveys brought about as a result of developers wishing to build. They want the profits let them foot the bills. If however there is the slightest risk to public health then this proposed development must be axed.

   No Siobhan

-It looks as though our Council are doing a good job. Can that be said about the Rochdale Devilment Agency? The RDA uses OUR tax money. Are they accountable? How much has just been wasted on the Akzo farce where a daft planning framework document was pushed through Pennine Township without proper consideration about contamination.

The problem with some of these 'White Elephant' projects is that they don't stand up to scrutiny. Unfortunately, us taxpayers seem to have to pay for these mistakes where the developers appear to get off scott free.

As for 'having my cake' ... I'd just prefer for those who may greatly profit from development schemes foot their own bills. Getting Development Agencies to cover the cracks of a dodgy flan with a load of sugary icing is a recipe for indigestion.

   Elsewhere D you accuse authorities of 'turning a blind eye to contamination and safety'. Yet these authorites are going to great lengths to ensure public safety before anything happens at TBA. Having your cake...?

   MMC and Countryside should pay up. They axed the trees down, said there was no exposed asbestos, got caught out, then issued a feeble apology.

Talk is cheap.

If these clowns want to be taken seriously they should get their chequebooks out rather than peel an onion and shed tears of regret for their 'past actions' and 'miscommunication'.

I call them clowns but they're not even any good at that- I don't see anyone laughing.