SIR, As recent "immigrants" from the big city of Newport, we find it absolutely amazing that the good people of Monmouth complain about the slightest occurrence and uild it up out of all proportion! Having been brought up in West Cornwall by affluent parents, and my partner inWest Wales, we have spent the last twenty years in the "hell hole" known as Newport. We would invite the said complainants to try living in Newport for a couple of months. We feel certain they would have something to complain about - crime is rife and has for many years become a way of life, either as a victim or as a perpetrator. Dogs foul everywhere and run loose, there are nuisance neighbours, an over stretched police force and an uncaring local authority (neither of whom know where to start). Seriously, Monmouth is absolutely idyllic! Having been offered a property in Monmouth's disenfranchised estate (Carbonne Close) we were warned by friends in Newport that we might be moving into a possible "Beiruit", but we accepted the property without knowing anything about the area of Overmonnow (our only knowledge of Monmouth was as a tourist view). We are, quite frankly, stunned by the views of this area. Friends in Newport could not have been more wrong! Monmouth people are friendly, polite, quiet and, compared to the population of South Wales' newent city, are genuinely real people, just as we were used to it in Cornwall and West Wales. Crime is virtually non existent, a little dog fouling, a handful of boisterous (not rowdy or violent) teenagers, a caring local authority, etc. If the people of Monmouth had undergone the things that happened to us in Newport then perhpas they would have realised that in reality there are no problems in Monmouth, perhaps short of a pathetic evening bus service which leaves Monmouth as an island after 6pm and a decent supermarket. Carbonne Close and surrounding areas a problem? No way! We say to the people of Monmouth - you've never had it so good. OK., you probably won't believe us, but we challenge you, try Newport, then you will realise it is sheer heaven. Newcomers to the town (names and addresses supplied)
