It is true that Wallace Hartley, as a member of the Colne Bethel Independent Methodist Chapel, abstained from drinking alcohol. He was reflecting the cultural industrial age when alcohol abuse was rife, not only among working class men but also among women [e.g. gin shops].

However, this personal commitment should not deflect from the wider significance of Wallace Hartley's achievements as one of Colne's most famous sons. I think it is an honour, not a disgrace, for a pub to be named after a person.

Another teetotaller, Alfred Wainwright, a renowned fell walker and writer, had a pub named after him in the Lake District. Certainly, "The Wallace Hartley" is preferable to the present name of the renovated hostelry, a former Coaching Inn: "The King's Head", a name taken from a pub built in the 1790s near the site during the reign of Mad King George 3rd!

While alcoholism and binge drinking are a dreadful scourge for a minority, the vast majority of citizens eat and drink responsibly in the convivial surroundings of public houses.

After all, if the objectors to the name are doing so on Christian grounds, they should be reminded that the Bible does not condemn alcohol as evil - the devil's brew. The Philosopher in the Book of Ecclesiastes says: "Go ahead - eat your food and be happy; drink your wine and be cheerful. It's all right with God" [Ecclesiastes Chapter 10, verse 7] while St. Paul says to Timothy: "Do not drink water only, but take a little wine to help your digestion ...". [1 Timothy Chapter 5, verse 23] So, the moral of the story is not to create a "storm in a beer mug" but rather to drink alcohol in moderation, enjoy it and avoid excess. If people want to campaign against the alcohol abuse, they should target outlets selling cheap alcohol, which can be more easily accessible to under age drinkers.

David Penney Colne Columnist