The second feature of these stores, other than the cinema-like tower signs, is that the concrete floors always sloped to the back of the store. Why? Customers pushing loaded trolleys after adding their dairy products were slowed down as they passed the more profitable general merchandise towards the front of the store and the exit.

The format today has not changed with the essential milk and bread still at the back of supermarkets for the same reason.

When my wife and I redeveloped the former Woolworths store in Wallsend following the earthquake (our previous building in Hunter Street was written off) we had to bring in tonnes and tonnes of sand and concrete just to level the rear sections of the floor.

CENTENNIAL Coal could have done better with their consultation process. MP Greg Piper and the environmental group Save Our Coast outcries were predictable ('Shockwave', Herald, 1/2). However, let us ensure there is a balance on where this issue goes.

Whilst meeting community anticipations, Centennial also has an obligation to their shareholders, governments and employees.

To meet these stakeholders' expectations, it is imperative that Centennial meticulously plan their future operations.

With a coal company, this entails geological work, hence the undoubted need for seismic testing under their lake workings.

Having lived at Arcadia Vale and Wangi since 1970, I caught fish and blue swimmer crabs in front of Wangi RSL, at Wangi point, Point Wolstencraft and Swansea flats during January 2020. This supports my assertion that my part of the lake is in A1 condition.

Perhaps there is evidence, of which I am unaware, regarding specific damage caused by Centennial. If so, please demonstrate. If not, let us make sure the environmental groups are not allowed to promote their position at the expense of the real situation.

I believe their position is often based on emotion rather than fact, for instance their thoughts on the presence of sea lions and dugongs in Lake Macquarie will be interesting to read.

If MP Piper can organise a community consultation with Centennial, I shall be happy to attend. I will bring cooperation rather than confrontation to the forum. Will environmental groups do the same?

I WRITE regarding the ridiculous proposed cathedral spire ('Reaching for the heavens', Newcastle Herald, 29/1).

Given Christ Church Cathedral's existing dominance of Newcastle's skyline, what practical Christian purpose does the proposed new spire serve?

The church's priorities need to be urgently reassessed by the church leadership, and critically examined by its congregation, civic leaders and community members alike.

To many in the Newcastle and Hunter Region, Christ Church Cathedral and its dominant imagery is a powerful and painful symbol of the organised religions that consistently failed victims of child sexual abuse perpetrated for decades within their diocese by evil men in positions of power.

If Newcastle's civic leaders and the current Anglican leadership had even an ounce of empathy for victims of child sexual abuse within the Church, they would rightly reject the proposed spire in respect of survivors and the ongoing trauma they face.

I WRITE regarding Phillip O'Neill's glowing endorsement of AirBnB ('Airbnb settles in as regional money-spinner', Herald, 1/2). The plain reality of AirBnB dedicated permanent houses in residential settings is a fragmenting and diminishing of family-orientated communities, suburbs and streets.

While a fantastic advent on so many economic aspects, it should not be a licence to open slather and non-discretionary assessment by local councils when it comes to family suburbs, beach-side or other.

Our town's unique qualities built over many generations should be front and centre of all AirBnb regulatory considerations, same as any other relevant planning and zoning statutory regulations.

Open slather will be a problem before we know it, in my view.

IN reply to Lloyd Davies who said I was "being choosy on climate" (Letters, 24/1): I haven't been absent in comment lately. Throughout December and January 2019-20 I submitted numerous letters on fire, drought and climate change.

Mr Davies' "isolated cold hard fact" included all 48 contiguous states of America experiencing in 2019 the coldest January to August period on record. Is that what we should call isolated cold weather?

The Institute for Energy Research (IER), a non-profit organisation in Washington, did the research showing that coal-fired power was still cheaper than renewables. No one has shown that their research was wrong.

I have been picking climate-alarm cherries in the Herald for years. So much so, in fact, I believe all of the cherries have now been picked. In light of that I would be proud to accept the title of 'cherry picker of the year' award.

IT was with great sorrow and sadness I read your recent article on animals in labs ('University defends use of 50,000 animals in research projects', Herald, 3/2). This should be banned; our animals don't need to go through suffering and pain for our benefit.

This is the 21st century, not the Middle Ages, and with all the technology we have in the world, some organisations still feel the need to test on animals.

I have been rescuing domesticated rats for 16 years and I can tell you I can't imagine these little animals, mice as well, being dissected.

Testing can also happen to other animals as well. Some places, not the university, breed beagle dogs for testing products on, and when they are finished with these animals they destroy them.

Some animals have a short life span. They are born and bred for labs all over the world.

Please stop this now. It is not fair on the animals, we have no right to use and abuse our animals, and they are created by God for us to look after. I am afraid people all over the world have failed in their duty of care towards these poor creatures. Animals have no choice, no voice.

CLIMATE change, global warming, rising sea levels, CO2, the list goes on. These are all symptoms of a much bigger problem that no government in the world is prepared to address. Trying to fix these as individual issues is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. Total waste of time and money. In the whole scheme of things, putting solar panels on your roof and recycling your bottle for 10 cents might save you a few bucks, but it's going to do nothing for the earth. Let's do what needs to be done before it's too late, and these other problems will fix themselves. Population reduction. Get your head out of the sand people and stop breeding.

I LOVED reading the articles of $4 million-plus house sales and properties under management for external investors in Saturday's Newcastle Herald in and around Newcastle ('Prestige market off to a strong start', Herald, 1/2). My young adult kids did too. One house is all one needs, greed is destroying society.

FIFTY per cent of power in South Australia comes from renewables, with only a small connector to Victoria. This is worth keeping an eye on.

WHO does Bridget McKenzie think she's kidding? It is the height of disingenuousness for her to claim she resigned because of the gun club membership. Although bad enough, it was the shameless, blatant pork-barrelling that got up everyone's nose. They should look into Scotty from Marketing's involvement too, I reckon.

REPLYING to Warren Shakespeare and David Davies (Short Takes, 3/2 and 4/2). We totally agree, Peter Fox deserved to be named Australian of the Year. Behind him a wonderful woman, wife Penny.

ROBERT Kennedy, in looking at denial, you show fine leadership qualities (Letters, 4/2). The best leaders are calm and clear thinking. Once, now years ago, our illustrious Academy of Science and CSIRO, and Bureau of Meteorology's unified voice warned the risk of continued fossil use was too great to take, a think tank, to guide policy, should have been formed. Their warning left no room for denial in government. There is quickly shrinking time for action. You are PM material. Currently, government inaction is running the country into the ground.

WHAT a great story in Tuesday's newspaper about the John Hunter Hospital going solar ('Hospital solar plan just what the environmental doctor ordered', Herald, 2/4). They are going to cover 85 per cent of the roof and for all of this it will only supply 15 per cent of power for the hospital at a cost of $3.2 million to install. If this is correct, it is going to be long time before solar can take over from our base load power station which will more that likely be supplying the hospital for many more years to come, if available.