AS I approach my 89th year, I am pondering the world I live in today and how its changed.

I live in a country which gives billions of pounds to countries like Korea and China, but cannot afford to run its own NHS, so people of my generation have to wait for life-changing operations.

Poole is closing all its public toilets. I suppose they expect people to do what we did in the army and carry shovels with them.

Here we are building on every bit of spare land without any thought of the people who have to live there - soon you may have more chance of winning the lottery than parking your car.

Meanwhile, we have no money to repair our roads – mine has more potholes than the Burma Road - but the council can afford a king’s ransom to pay off a retired civil servant. No wonder people now visit out-of-town shops where parking is free.

Visitors will be going to beaches where they can enjoy themselves near their cars and as the shops close down, we will all have our own coffee shop! If only we could park there!

I came to Bournemouth in 1934, left school at the beginning of the war, joined the army in time to see active service in the Middle East, came home, settled down and worked for 50 years in a town to be proud of.

I do think the council should get around and talk more to the people who matter – the residents - and ask their views. I can introduce plenty.

I don’t think I will live long enough to see this town return to the great place it was, but I do hope to see a start made very soon.

TM JONES

Shelbourne Road, Bournemouth

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