LAST week's criticism of Malvern by Mike Haycock caused a certain amount of consternation among other town traders. After all, a business like Gordon Smith has survived in Malvern since 1932 thanks to its combination of quality goods and service, but you still can't help but feel the town could do so much better if it could resolve the debate about whether people want it to change or not.

They used to have the same debate in Ludlow. There a group of traders took the bull by the horns and launched a food festival which has put the town back on the map. Now the streets are heaving in the summer, which doesn't please all the locals, but at least it provides them with an exciting range of shops to visit in peace for the other nine months of the year.

Our thanks to Waitrose, for providing 600 mince pies, and staff at Malvern Theatres for their help with our annual OAPs Christmas film show last Friday.

Thanks also to those who attended on the day and were so kind. It was much appreciated.

Next week we publish as usual on Friday, December 28, when the newspaper will feature our review of 2001.