SIR - My daughter and I returned home from a four-day break at the Royal Glen Hotel recently.

We would like to congratulate the Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce and its members on a very well-kept town centre, with every sign of a thriving commercial community.

We thought all the shops were well presented, with well-kept facades, giving a very good impression.

As we were staying half board and explored the surrounding area, in spite of the unkind weather, we cannot claim to have spent a fortune in your shops, but we tried to support them. The whole town was so busy and it was a pleasure to travel back in time, when people shopped locally, not in monopoly, out-of-town supermarkets. Long may your success continue.

I can easily see why Sidmouth is so popular. We live in Bournemouth, which has its own character.

Kathy Downer (Mrs)

Via email