No doubt like many other households in the above two wards I found a letter from Mr Richard John and Ms Jayne Mckenna in our post box recently.

Although I applaud their efforts, spirit and endeavours to improve a multitude of aspects affecting these two rural communities. I am afraid that a high percentage of us now in the autumn of our lives will never see any benefit from completing their fairly comprehensive and friendly questionnaire.

As I have found to my cost anything that will inevitably involve both the legal brigade and accountants will unfortunately require numerous meetings, considerable amounts of ozone destroying hot air being spouted with very little positive output for 'Joe Public' in the end.

Call me cynical if you wish, but I have just witnessed and still witnessing a two year environmental negligence case being essentially held up by the legal fraternity and the 'bean counters' ...accountants.

I ask myself why should this be and of course for the legal fraternity it is in their interests to drag their feet (bigger payouts) and the accountants don't like spending money unless it benefits them or their salaries/pension pots.

This might appear to be a rather simplistic view of life in the twenty-first century regarding these two professions, but I can assure the reader that had both of these professions not been so heavily involved in the particular case I am referring to, then one of our local areas which is listed in the guide books as an AONB would not now be looking like one of the key cities in the Ukraine.

Many years ago within the professional working world individuals from both of these professions were always invited to attend meetings on an advisory basis, but over time they have been permitted to become decision makers in spheres that most of them have little knowledge about and as we all know a little knowledge can be dangerous.

Mike Moffatt