I would like to reply to two letters in the Gazette & Herald.

First, on Mr Rogers’ comments on the unmarked lorry parking outside the Lemon Plaice in Devizes.

When I was a member of Wiltshire Council, I voiced my views on this to the then portfolio holder for transport Coun Richard Gamble.

My suggestion was from 8am till 10am on a Thursday morning parking was suspended in the parking bay outside of Bikes and Boards, enabling lorries to park there for their deliveries. Even though this simple idea was virtually cost neutral it fell on deaf ears.

Second, on Mrs Gummer’s comments on the location of Orange Grove and Lemon Grove, if my memory serves me right, The Groves were in New Park Street, somewhere around the Salem Chapel area.

I too was totally disgusted to read in the latest book on Devizes that, in the author’s opinion, Vales Lane was classed as a slum! Who are these people? Are they Devizes born and bred?

I was raised in Vales Lane. The houses may have only been two up and two down with a loo at the top of the garden, but they were clean, warm and homely.

We, as children, were clean, warm, well fed and above all loved. What people had they shared and there was a true community spirit.

From this ‘slum’ came two town Mayors, a Mayoress, police inspector, businessmen, prison warder, landlords and accountants.

The ones who didn’t reach the seats of power were hard-working people, rarely out of work, and stayed in their jobs for a lifetime, the salt of the earth, who made this town the wonderful place that it is.

May I suggest that before articles like this are published that consultation is held with the people who lived there. Those who lived in Vales Lane are still friends to this day, and we are appalled at this suggestion of our childhood homes bring called a slum.

Coun Jane M Burton, Town councillor, Devizes Guardians.