Your letters - August 22

Renault upset

ON Thursday, August 7 I received a letter from Renault UK informing me that they were "delighted" to announce that Russell's dealership had been taken over by Lifestyle Renault and that the Bexhill branch was closing! This was a surprise to me and, I imagine, to thousands of loyal customers but the shock came the following morning when I drove down London Road and discovered that they had done a moonlight flit!

I presume that the Bexhill business was not profitable but why was this so when the town has a high proportion of Renaults? If Russell's management had bothered to emulate their apparently successful rivals in Beeching Road we might still have a Renault dealer in town and not be expected to travel to Eastbourne.

Their premises in London Road has hardly changed in years and is miserable, cramped and inefficient. Russell's may blame contractual arrangements for being so sly but presumably they signed the contract!

It is very sad for customers and for Russell's management that they have chosen such a shabby way to say goodbye to the town which has supported them for so many years.

RON BRAZIER

Winston Drive

Irvine praise

Re: Poor standards in Bexhill Irvine Unit - Observer, August 8

THREE years ago I spent 12 days in the Conquest hospital after falling and shattering my thigh. I could not fault any treatment whilst there.

I was transferred to the Irvine Unit where I remained for eight weeks, during which time I was visited twice or three times a week by one of three orthopaedic surgeons checking on my progress and arranging further x-rays. They were either accompanied by a physiotherapist or a senior member of nursing staff.

At the time it was not certain if I would walk again, but through excellent care and attention I can now get about, even though I have to depend on my four wheeled walker. I am so grateful to all the nursing staff concerned who at the time kept me smiling through severe pain.

Whilst in hospital we all expect commitment from nursing staff and a positive attitude, and I believe it should also come from the patient.

MRS SHEILA MAYES

Grange Court Drive

Hall was too small

I VISITED the Bexhill Art Society exhibition at St Andrew's. It was a small hall and their work could not be displayed to their full potential. The talent and enthusiasm of the artists shone in their work and in the welcome given by the club's stewards.

I have resided in Bexhill for two years and could not understand why the De La Warr Pavilion had not welcomed and encouraged the art group to exhibit there. I went to the De La Warr and found the foyer bare and empty.

I met the manager and was assured the art club only had to apply to exhibit. It would be most beneficial to our community if the De La Warr welcomed all forms of art to exhibit and perform, as they could do this with ease and style. It would also enrich our society by giving us the opportunity to see local artists.

B. THACKER

Ellerslie Lane

Reduce the waste

WRITING to the paper is something I have tried very hard to resist; this is because as a former councillor I should put my arguments through my councillor who will represent my views if asked to do so in the chamber.

However on this occasion I feel that my views would never get the hearing or raise the debate that could just make the elected members think that maybe they could be making a huge mistake wasting three and half million pounds of the taxpayers' money - not theirs, but ours.

As a Conservative, I am surprised that the current administration are ready to spend such sums without having secured at least one blue chip company to take a long lease on the proposed six shops around the Colonnade.

It is plain for all to see that we have a plethora of empty premises throughout the town and actually on the seafront, why is it, that the officers of Rother have far more expertise and insight than the private sector retailers?

Could they explain who will occupy these premises and make a profit by doing so, could they put in place documents that would show a business plan that would be accepted by any professional investor?

The regeneration department have little or no expertise in the private sector, and have produced next to nothing in regeneration projects that have brought any jobs to Bexhill.

Wealth creation is the name of the game, more profitable businesses employing more people who in turn will spend money in our shops and on services will in itself create demand.

Please stop and think before making this huge commitment, it is my opinion and only mine, that we would do far more good in supporting new enterprise, with small business support on rent and rates in the first year of a new business.

Young people in our district at present cannot earn sufficient money to support themselves without handouts, we should do all we can to attract new business with well paid jobs, that will deliver all the extra money our authority needs to spend on the nice things of life without using reserves and bidding for European handouts.

We are littered with expensive white elephants already, please do not build any more.

I am sure many would agree that improved facilities would be desirable on the seafront, remember the wonderful ideas put forward by the young people through the late Gill Hamilton, they would not have cost millions and the residents not only liked them, but supported them.

Reduce the waste, stop frittering away much needed resources on new unwanted and irrelevant officer jobs, if it doesn't add value, improve the visitor offer and improve the residents' lives, don't do it. We need the elected members to take back control of the council and its agenda and remind the officers who the electorate chose to lead them and who will be answerable at the ballot box, I am sure it will be the councillor not the officer who will ultimately take the blame for any mistakes.

STUART EARL

A Born and Bred Bexhillian who cares.

A former councillor who will now probably be deported for being disloyal and for having a different opinion.

Leave town alone

HOORAY for Mrs Poulter and her heartfelt and eloquent plea for local politicians to leave Bexhill alone!

Why must these jumped-up Jacks- (and Jills-)in-office persist with attempts to interfere with the traditional character of the town instead of doing what they should be doing - ie making sure essential services like rubbish removal and town cleaning work properly?

And if they really have to interfere, why don't they, as some of your correspondents suggested last week, start by making sure our excellent sub-post offices are re-opened and that the catastrophically failed De La Warr Pavilion functions properly?

The town just about survived the ghastly Gubby Era, we certainly don't need his successors to p(r)imp up the seafront and the Colonnade.

B. W. BROWN

Peartree Lane

Photo Club history

I AM trying to trace the history of the Little Common Photographic Club from its inception to the current day.

At some point the LCPC became detached from its parent club (The Bexhill Club). I would like to understand the why's and wherefore's of the split and the date.

If there are any of your readers that can help me with this project may I, mostly kindly, ask them to contact me at any time.

CHARLES KING

10 Ocklynge Close

Bexhill

TN39 4PF

39 empty shops

TODAY, 08:08:08, I walked through our town centre, and counted 39 empty shops.

Do we really need to build more shops in the Colonnade?

GILL DULY,

Newlands Avenue

Conquest thanks

MANY thanks to Murray Ward at the Conquest Hospital, for looking after my mother, Mrs Lily Moody so well.

My mother over the past year has been in many hospitals in Surrey, before she moved to live in East Sussex, and she did not receive the good care and attention she got on Murray Ward.

Thank you Murray Ward for your kindness to her.

MRS P. KEARNES

Ellerslie Lane

1066 Cruisers

YOUR report on the 1066 Cruisers event (page 18, August 8) informed your readers that one group of participants arrived "wearing solar toupees (sic) and bush shirts".

I am getting rather thin on top and would like to know where I can obtain such a wig as it sounds more convenient than the solar topee that I normally wear in the summer.

GORDON WATERS

Bidwell Avenue

Not all gormless

Re: Mr Caunter and his recycling

WELL Mr Caunter, we all do our bit and work hard on our recycling the same as you.

But we do not take our cardboard to Ravenside recycling centre, because there is NO bin for cardboard.

We all take it to the Pebsham tip, it's the only place you can take cardboard.

Mr Trimby was correct and deserves an apology. We're not all gormless, like Mr Caunter seems to think.

J. AUBREY

Gloucester Avenue

Shop closure

ON August 23, the shop at Cooden Beach railway station closes after almost eight years.

I have had the great pleasure of working there since it first opened its doors, selling train tickets

along with groceries.

I have always felt extremely lucky to work in such a beautiful location, and I am very sad to be leaving. In this time I have met some lovely people; both customers and workmates,and I want to say a big t