PERHAPS I can remind Miss Hooper and Mr Wright (Letters, August 8) and other readers of the Times of the circumstances that have resulted in the Coronation Celebration rest room being vacant.

It was built by public subscription on land leased from the Congregational Church on a peppercorn rent. When the church was demolished and replaced by the present example of 1970s slab architecture the lease of the rest room was taken over by the new owner.

On the expiry of the lease the owner offered its renewal at a rent equivalent to 50 per cent of the commercial rent for a limited number of years and 75 per cent thereafter. The management committee could not pay such a high rent; The landlord therefore sequestered the rest room. Such is the present situation.

It may be added that vagrants got into the premises, slept there and removed much of the kitchen fittings. Also that in its last days the committee had difficulty in finding enough volunteers to help with the day-to-day running and that a bus stop was provided outside the rest room.

As to the future, if an enforcement notice will result in the landlord relinquishing immediate control of the property and TASS can recruit volunteers the ideal situation will return.

Graham?Kirkpatrick

Tavistoc