MADAM, My wife and I try to visit Ross at least twice a year, staying at the lovely Royal Hotel. I always buy this local paper to read while I enjoy a pint in one of your pubs, whilst my wife visits the shops. I was somewhat surprised to read in the letters' page (17/04/13) what seems to be a debate on Ross becoming a 'crappy, dying, ghost town.' Can I assure you, Ross is a fantastic town, one which you can all be proud of.

We love the town because you have what a lot of places in my home city of Bristol are losing. We walk down from the Royal Hotel and you have all the shops you need, from the local butchers, hardware shop, sweet shop, pet store and auto shop to name a few. It is has a sense of local community and one which you must try and hold on to at all costs.

In Bristol we have been invaded by the 'local' stores of the likes of Tesco and Co-Op, which, despite all the talk of bringing new life to the high street, just means you lose your local butcher, hardware shop, baker etc. So don't let the doom and gloom merchants get you down and hold on to and support your local shops.

If this letter does get printed I guess I won't see it in print but all the best to you who look after Ross for all of us who visit you, it's great.

Nick Gould, Bristol