After reading the first two letters regarding loss of trees and proposed alterations in the Strand Gardens, it was like a breath of fresh air to read Geoff Tyler s letter Change is not always bad .

After reading the first two letters regarding loss of trees and proposed alterations in the Strand Gardens, it was like a breath of fresh air to read Geoff Tyler's letter "Change is not always bad".

I grew up in post-war Exmouth, gathered conkers in The Strand, walked gas lamp lit streets, and virtually lived in the seafront swimming pool during the summer months.

The Farm House pub, now my local, was just a farmhouse, and the surrounding fields were where part of the school cross-country course ran.

I love walking along the beach and in the surrounding countryside.

So, after 13 years in the RAF and five years working in Sheffield, I could not wait to get back.

Unfortunately, trees do not live forever, the late great Luccombe oak in Phear Park being a prime example. Younger trees have the capacity to fix more carbon per season, by using the carbon dioxide in the air. They give off carbon monoxide when burnt or decay.

The vast increase in motorised vehicles has turned The Strand into nothing more than a large roundabout with a garden in the middle.

Surely by creating an area that drives out the car, a more people-friendly area can emerge, where people can relax and perhaps reflect on those Exmothians who fought for us.

A place where the birds can fly, seagulls and pigeons mainly. They always seem to appear when you are eating your lunch.

John A Findlay-Wilson,

1 Ellwood Road, Exmouth.