SIR, — My previous letter ('Herald', May 28) was an attempt to be helpful, to perhaps offer an alternative view for the Chamber of Trade to consider, but it would appear that I wasted my time.
The silly attempt at a tit for tat reply by its Press Officer, George Williams, was nothing more than an insult.
I did not 'proudly boast' that I do my shopping in Alnwick, I merely stated that we do sometimes go there because the supermarket in M
orpeth is inadequate.
I would like to proudly boast that I do all of my shopping in Morpeth, I try to do so as much as I can. Every December I try my hardest to do all of my Christmas shopping in Morpeth too. Never mind, I am just a customer, fair game for a bit of a kicking by the Chamber of Trade.
All of my opinions are apparently invalid too, according to Mr Williams.
Thousands of people already choose not to shop in Morpeth, that is a fact, denial will not make it go away. People I work with, people I talk to, other letters in the 'Herald', state that people choose to shop elsewhere rather than in Morpeth, I really do not see how that blatantly obvious fact can be dismissed as invalid.
Any development will have to go through a planning process which The Chamber is in a powerful position to influence to its advantage — its own website proclaims what influence it has over town planning. I do not see how that can be dismissed as invalid either.
As for his belief that the empty shops in Alnwick are as a result of Sainsbury's opening there, either he is being deliberately misleading or just sees what he wants to see.
The only major difference that I have noticed since Sainsbury's opened is the closure of Woolworths, and I really find it hard to believe that the opening of a supermarket in Alnwick caused the closure of all 800 Woolworths shops.
As a shopping town, Alnwick has been dying for years, Sainsbury's was too late on the scene even to hammer home a final nail in the coffin.
As well as being insulted by its Press Officer, the Chairman of our Chamber of Trade has the arrogance to state that we must be content with another small and inadequate supermarket stuffed in a corner behind the Red Bull. It will apparently welcome a new supermarket in the town, but only as long as it is so small that nobody will want to shop there, and consequently nobody will ever build it. Thanks a bunch Mr Lishman, how very generous of you.
The Chamber of Trade seems to think that it can dictate what facilities we will be allowed to have, in which light its posters declaring 'Hands Off Our Town' take on a whole new meaning.
It appears that by 'our' it considers the town to be its alone, the property of a few traders; well it isn't, it is ours too.
There is a real danger that in fighting any possible development on the edge of town, the Chamber of Trade will also end up fighting its own customers.
I can see that the right development could be a great benefit for the town, encouraging trade and alleviating some of the problems that currently help to put people off shopping in Morpeth. To make that happen needs positive vision, it needs the town traders to get involved, it needs a totally new approach from the Chamber of Trade.
Having a little hissy fit in public and stating that any semblance of competition means having to put up white flags and close the doors is quite frankly just pathetic.
I have had to face massive competition and change in business, and I faced up to it again and again. I didn't throw my toys out of the pram and shut the doors. Most importantly of all, I listen to what my customers and potential customers have to say, I don't shout them down and insult them
COLIN EDGE
Hebron
