Madam, after the news broke recently of the developing store wars in Ross there have been several very intense discussions on the Ross Gazette and other Facebook pages regarding the pros and cons of the developments. As a shop keeper in the town for the last ten years I find some of the comments that are being left about our lovely town saddening and personally hurtful. I do not see Ross as crappy, dying, a ghost town or just for the tourists, in fact quite the opposite.

Ross is not all charity shops, we have fantastic shops in Ross which are run by real people who care deeply about our town and giving shoppers a great experience. Just look at shops like Crowsfeet, David Christopher, Pedlars Nest, Tudor Sweets, the Cookshop, Parkers, The Music Box, Little Chic, Field Fayre, Rossiters, GB Sports, Callwoods butchers, Designer Flowers, Essential Sewing, Pots and Pieces, Mamgus, Ross Old Books, Escape, Lucy Grey, Stella by Starlight, Masons, Madam Butterfly, Golden Crust, Likes Florist, Cornwalls butchers, House of Charm and many more. These are real businesses run by real people, not faceless corporations and comments on social media can frequently make or ruin our day! We are lucky to have so many interesting and independent shops, and yes, we may not have absolutely the right mix to please everyone at the moment, but I only see it getting better with the improvements that myself and other people who are passionate about Ross are trying to achieve.

So please think before you post, or even better get out on the High Street and see what Ross has to offer. Lets all pull together and make Ross the best that she can be.

Cllr Richard Mayo, Truffles Delicatessen