BY the time this hits the paper, Malvern Outdoors, Malvern's first specialist shop for campers and walkers, will be no more.

In the three years and three months of trading in Malvern's Church Street, we have lost some money but we have gained other things in other ways.

Most of all we have been amazed just how many genuinely kind and thoughtful people there are in the Malverns. So many people have come to the shop since our demise became apparent just to wish us well and thank us for the advice we have given over the years. I have been touched by all of your concern and from the heart, I thank you for it.

Our demise stems from our own circumstances in the time of foot and mouth disease. It is not the level of rent and rates.

However, I do feel more money from the rates could be spent on improving the centre of our beautiful town.

My suggestion is to make Church Street and the roads leading down to it from Worcester Road traffic free from 9am until 5pm.

Waitrose car park could be administered by the town council and open to all for limited period parking. The market could then be encouraged to relocate to Church Street.

The money can be found. It just needs some positive thinking.

I genuinely think that if this had been done Malvern Outdoors would still be in Church Street and thriving.

I would like to thank Robin Elt, of GMAT, for the help and advice he has given but most of all, I would like to thank all the customers that have given such loyalsupport.

We may be gone, but you will not be forgotten.

Paul Ferguson, Queens Road, Malvern.