NOT having any connection with Okehampton apart from over 30 years of marriage to someone brought up in the district. It might not seem proper for me to criticise some of your readers, but I am always amazed when scanning through my wife's copy of the Okehampton Times to read the letters from residents moaning about their town.

We recently spent an afternoon in Okehampton and couldn't believe how much the town had improved over the pat 30 years, with marvellous shops, cafes and three superb supermarkets all within easy reach of the car park, so easy in fact that we did the whole of our weekly shop in the town.

True, we had to wait a minute or two at the traffic-lights but what's that? We just relaxed and thought of the wonderful few hours we had just spent in the town, thankful that for once we did not have to drive to Exeter.

Perhaps your readers should consider the excellent letter from Jennifer Ware that you published in the October 18 issue.

P J Head

5 Crownhill Terrace

Park Street

Crediton

OVER recent weeks your newspaper has contained several letters complaining of the traffic problems in Okehampton.

While to a certain extent it is easy to understand the complaints, one needs to look beyond today's inconveniences. Civil engineering work — even of a small scale — usually is responsible for hold-ups and a certain degree of chaos. This situation does not last for ever.

Judgement on the present scheme at this time is much too premature. No matter what work is carried out in the main street it will have little or no effect in relieving the chronic car parking difficulties.

However, I would like to move away from any negative thoughts about Okehampton and draw attention to more positive ones.

For an instance, the new bridge linking North Street with Market Street: a huge plus for the people and especially children living in the northern/eastern sections of the town.

Another new bridge over the East Ockment, beyond our truly marvellous Simmons Park, linking with Tram Road/Fatherford, a virtual extension to the park at not too great a cost.

Big improvements to the park are scheduled to start very soon, probably taking several months to complete.

A third bridge will soon improve access for the disabled to the lovely old park.

A transformation is under way at long last, for the town hall.

Above all else, and most importantly, the new hospital is coming along by leaps and bounds. What then for the existing hospital sites?

Space simply will not allow me to go on! Okehampton has so much to be proud of and indeed a future of brighter promise than I can remember.

The message for today in the words of a song is simply 'to accentuate the positive'.

Ted Cann

11 Exeter Road

Okehampton