With reference to your letter in the Journal of February 3 regarding traffic in Birlingham I would comment as follows.

I have never written to a paper before. How often is that said these days in the press as peoples views harden ?

I am the epitome of the silent majority. I think a lot, listen a lot, say very little and never ever write letters,especially to newspapers.

However eventually one is stung into comment as the above letter has done to me.

To be accused of being selfish, putting people out of work and told, if I can't put up with the conditions to go somewhere else has, to say the least, miffed me.

Especially by the letter writer who is not affected by the traffic, does not live on the route of the lorries and doesn't even see them is to say the least a bit rich.

To set the record straight as far as I am concerned. I have been living on the lorries route for almost two years.

I have never made any comment whatsoever about anything to do with the traffic problem, until now.

I have no problem with agricultural traffic at all. I have lived in villages round the country for over 40 years and accept that tractors and farm traffic go with the territory of Ye Olde English village. We lived in this area in the 70's and achieved our dream to retire back here.

We were aware of the traffic problem when we moved here, as the previous owner, as is now the law had to advise us. However the location and property tended to let our heart rule our head and we thought, it can't be that bad.

As far as camaraderie is concerned perhaps your letter writer should look nearer home attitudewise, as we have got terrific neighbours who have made us most welcome and been extremely helpfull.

We love the village and whilst we are not committee type of people we willingly support events such as the local show each autumn.

The only problem I have with traffic is the 40 tonners. Would someone tell me, why, farms who locally grow salads etc need so many ginormous lorries to take away their produce.

They must be growing one hell a lot of lettuces to fill in some cases 10 - 40 tonners in an hour in the summer months, and who is buying that sort of quantity in the winter.

Also the drivers vary in the lorries.

Some are considerate and cruise down the road at 10-20mph.

Others still think they are on the M5. Believe me a 40tonner doing 50-60 mph 10 feet from your front garden when you are cutting the grass can be to say the least a bit off putting

Sitting in my back garden in the summer listening to leather strike willow only to have it drowned every few minute by a damn great artic is a shame.

Suggesting we should move is like telling the Queen to move from Windsor Castle as it now lies in the flight path from Heathrow.

Would she?

Like all people, me included, there is a certain amount of NIMBY syndrome here. In 40 years things have changed, not always for the better.

Perhaps in 40 years I may be writing such a letter although I doubt it. I shall be 106.

Anyway I feel better now I have said my piece and would request your letter writer not to do it again, as all I want to do is live a quiet retirement in peace in a village I like.

The letter I am responding to is tantamount to incitement to riot.

Whether it be by the writer for writing it or the Journal for publishing it. Although you will probably hide behind the freedom of the press.

Being a regular reader of the Journal it would appear that this subject is common to a number of villages in this part of the world. If all "indigenous natives" took the same attitude there would be no movement of people and the villages would all become industrial estates. Is this what your letter writer would prefer ?

Bryan Horrocks, The Ridings, Upper End, Birlingham.