MY wife and, I together with a large number of other people, spent a couple of hours on Sunday, August 6, in Priory Park listening to the Malvern Town Band and what an enjoyable two hours it was as the band is quite superb.

The audience ranged from the very young to the quite old and everyone appeared to have a lovely time. I was, however, reminded of the fact that the band was playing voluntarily and without fee and this is because the Malvern councillors decided not to fund a programme of bands playing in the park this year.

Such a decision was taken, I understand, on the grounds of affordability and the need for financial cutbacks.

I am led to wonder if it would not have been better to spend a little less on water features, flower troughs with seats and signs which at best will only give pleasure to a limited number of people, whereas the bands in the park give immense pleasure to many many hundreds of Malvern residents and visitors to the town.

I do hope the council will give this matter consideration for the next financial year and would urge it to fully fund a programme of bands in the park.

D W Maitland, Croft Bank, West Malvern.