SIR, I wrote to you on 12th October last year in response to a letter from Mr George Weston titled 'Only four towns in Monmouthshire' which was printed in the second October edition of your newspaper. His letter contained derogatory and insulting remarks about the residents of Usk. Mr Weston inferred that the residents of Usk chose to class themselves as a 'large village' in order to win that category in the Wales in Bloom competition. We have won the category for 33 consecutive years. My letter challenged Mr Weston's ignorance by explaining that we had no choice as to which category we were entered into, because it was determined by the Wales in Bloom organisation on the basis of the numbers on each entrant's electoral register. I also suggested that Mr Weston shoul apologise to the people of Usk. No such apology was received. Mr Weston might like to know that this year Usk found themselves in the new larger category of small country towns and having to compete against towns like Tenby, because the number on the electoral register has now exceeded 2,000. The extraordinary efforts of our wonderful and dedicated volunteers resulted in yet another first place in this new category. These volunteers work tirelessly to make our town such a beautiful place in which to live. So I invite Mr Weston, once again, to apologise to the residents of Usk and to the Usk in Bloom volunteers, or at the very least acknowledge that after 34 years of consecutive wins, their achievements have been earned by hard work and dedication and not by cheating. Councillor Alec Leathwood (Usk Town Council)