There is a prodigious white elephant presently stampeding and running amok all over the south of England’s rural splendour and fully intending to rampage north.

This crazy voracious rogue elephant is totally out of control after stamping on several of its keepers. It goes under the name of HS2 and is intent on munching its way through £56 billion-plus. This, despite the fact that, just like a post-railway canal, it will be obsolete soon after completion.

Systems of transportation are already being developed that will see us make the trip from York to London in ten minutes -magnets and vacuums. Seems like science fiction? So did the notion of travelling to London in under two hours, ask any dusty 18th century coach driver.

On a more mundane level: working habits have changed exponentially, even since the inception of HS2. Meanwhile it takes three trains and anything up to eight hours to travel 150 miles to the North West coast.

However, all would not be lost. The canals are now a wonderful leisure facility and the HS2 will provide a perfect pollution-free cycle path, complete with overnight accommodation and rest stops, with no sign of crazy white elephant droppings anywhere.

Brian McCusker,

Hartoft Street, York