But if we examine their collective record concerning our archaeological heritage, we can see how little of this rhetoric is ever translated into action by any party at either county or borough level.

We are one of the few counties that has no county museum to store and display the finds that have been made over past decades.

Northampton Museum, which is supposed to be the town museum and not just "the shoe museum", as described by Councillor Glynane, once provided the role of county archaeological store but they withdrew from this.

So the material once held by the museum is now inaccessible in a temporary warehouse store, while newly excavated material has no home.

Delapre Abbey, as I have said in the past, would be the ideal setting for a county museum.

In addition, the wonderful collection from the old Leathercraft Museum, which was closed down and turned into a restaurant, also sits in storage awaiting a home.

Councillor Glynane also seems to be unaware that the county does have a "proper archaeological unit", which has been carrying out excavations in advance of development work for the past 30 years.

At the moment it carries out more work outside the county because Northamptonshire abandoned having an archaeologist checking planning applications and providing advice to the planning authorities.

As a result, it became possible for development proposals to go through without any requirement for archaeological work.

This policy has made Northamptonshire a national joke in the archaeological world, although there are now signs that there may be a return to sanity in the local authorities.

A couple of final reminders of what our local politicians can achieve: The site of the Roman town at Irchester and the adjacent farm buildings was bought a few years ago, with the support of Government money, to create a county heritage centre, exactly the sort of place to attract visitors to the county.

The land and the buildings are now for sale.

Northampton also once had a fine visitors centre in its own building. Then it went walkabout and we are still waiting for its latest incarnation to appear in the old court rooms at County Hall.

Altogether, it amounts to a sad catalogue of neglect, and if the town and county have no real pride in the past are they really going to invest in the future either?
Andy Chapman, Secretary, Northamptonshire Archaeological Society.

Beware of voting for minority party
For many years, Conservative MEPs have been doing a solid job of scrutinising EU legislation in Brussels and resisting its worst excesses.

And Conservatives are offering a clear programme for the euro-elections on June 4: a referendum on the EU Constitution (and we'll campaign for a "NO" vote).

A one-word policy on Britain joining the euro: "Never". And making a start on the repatriation of powers from Brussels, especially in the employment and social affairs area.

The public are rightly angry as the Westminster expenses scandals rolls on in the press day after day.

However anyone considering voting for a minor party such as UKIP might like to consider the record of UKIP MEPs over the last five years.

In 2004, UKIP astonished the political establishment by gaining a remarkable 12 MEPs out of the UK's 78. What has happened since? No fewer than four – fully a third of them – have left UKIP, or been expelled.

Robert Kilroy Silk (elected in our own East Midlands region) sought the leadership of UKIP, failed, and left in a huff. He created a new party, Veritas, which crashed and burned, and he has now retreated to his villa in Spain.

He is seen rarely in Strasbourg and apparently not at all in the region he is paid to represent.

Occasionally he comes out of the woodwork to table hundreds of written questions (some of them highly eccentric) to the Commission.

Both Conservatives and UKIP oppose the EU Constitution, but unlike UKIP, Conservatives confidently expect to be able to deliver on this commitment.

Public anger at the expenses scandal in Westminster is totally justified, but euro-sceptic voters should think twice before voting for a party like UKIP, whose MEPs arguably have an even worse record for probity.
Roger Helmer MEP, Emma McClarkin, Rupert Matthews, Fiona Bulmer
and George Lee, Conservative East Midlands Euro-Team.

Independents are the best choice
THE Conservatives have made a mess of running Northamptonshire County Council. The Liberal Democrats have made a mess of running Northampton Borough Council.

The Labour Party has made a mess of running the whole country.

At the forthcoming county council elections, a strong independent vote will ensure the candidate you elect will be free of party politics, graft, greed and corruption.

Looking around the whole country, we find the Labour Party has got it into an appalling mess, with millions spent on costly wars far away and on mass immigration.

Recently it has spent vast amounts of taxpayers' money on bailing out greedy banks which they have failed to regulate.

The Conservatives have made a huge mess of running the county council with thousands spent on lavish dinners, meetings and conferences. A wise person is not going to vote Conservative.

The Liberal Democrats have made a complete mess of running the Northampton Borough Council, with their arrogant disregard for the 11,000-name "Save the Market" petition, signatures from the people of Northampton who did not want their market moved and downsized.

Many of you will have signed the market petition cast aside by the Liberal Democrat leader Tony Woods and his bumbling side-kick Richard Church.

So it would be a bad idea to vote Liberal Democrats and this is your chance to knock at least one or two off the county council in the elections on June 4.
Eamonn "Fitzy" Fitzpatrick, Independent Candidate for Kingsley Ward, Northamptonshire County Council.

We need Guy!
The people of Little Billing, Flore, Towcester and Wellingborough should consider themselves rather lucky, as they only received a copy of the BNP election handout with their issue of Northamptonshire Police newsletter.

We had the misfortune of receiving an election handout from the Labour Party with our copy which I find deeply offensive. Where's Guy Fawkes when you need him ?

Martyn Labrum, The Old Pumphouse, Weekley.

Cuckoo's song is missing this year
HAS anyone heard the cuckoo anywhere in Northamptonshire or surrounding counties?

A few years ago the cuckoo was a regular early summer visitor to everywhere in the UK, with its enchanting call, which gave this migratory bird its name.

It is a parasitic bird which remarkably lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, who hatch and rear the chicks as their own.

It was always a delight to hear the call in the countryside, as it always seemed to herald the beginning of summer.

I have mentioned this to local people in our village, and like me, we have not heard the song of the cuckoo (it is only the male who makes the familiar call) for quite a few years.

I would be very interested and grateful to know if anyone has heard the cuckoo this year, and where I could come and guarantee to listen to this magical bird's song.
Jennifer Spokes, Grange Farm, Long Buckby.