MR Marc Etches has put forward yet again a forceful argument for casinos and I have to say that his use as an example of the opening of the Tower as one of the "many examples of how the town has continuously developed exciting new attractions to compete with its rivals" does not carry much weight.

There is one great difference between the Tower and the proposed casino development and that is that the Tower was built by the people of Blackpool buying shares in the new company which made the Tower truly a property belonging to Blackpool people. The proposed casinos will belong to Leisure Parcs and all the profit etc will go to their shareholders. The casinos venue will be in Blackpool but not of Blackpool.

I would like to inform Mr Etches that since the Tower Company complex was sold to a public company there has been a steady decline of standards.

Blackpool was known as the show capital of the north, with always the most popular and up-to-date acts here for the season. This deterioration can be dated from the time the Tower Company was lost to the Blackpool people.

I am not forgetting the loss of certain theatres due to changing tastes with the advent of TV etc, but even so I have to point out that the only theatre still truly belonging to Blackpool has quality shows all the year round and the most successful season show in town every year. Unfortunately, what do we get from the Leisure Parcs theatres? End of runs and repeats and unknown artists.

There is always an arrogance emanating from incomers who seem unable to understand that the people of Blackpool, both resident and visitors, do not have the same entertainment preferences as those elsewhere, nor do we wish to be educated in what we should be watching or doing.

Our "cloth cap" sophistication is well established and we know what we like and we don't like being told what we should like and what will be good for us.

Over the last few years there has been a renaissance and once again we have magical seasonal shows but this time at the Pleasure Beach (a local family) and the "best evening's entertainment in Blackpool" all year round at Funny Girls -- another local man.

We have had advice in the past from incomers telling us what will be successful in Blackpool. That is why we have a Zoo that has never been in profit since it opened and the Sandcastle which cost so much that the Blackpool people are still paying for it.

If the prediction that casinos in Blackpool will be such a sure fire success, how is it that Mr Etches loses not a single opportunity to ram the message down our throats? I for one would like to hear more about other ideas like Zanadu and Storm City and see what they have to offer.

No Mr Etches, I for one couldn't care less about what happened in Atlantic City but I am very interested in what will happen in Blackpool and I require to know all options before I commit myself.

Beverley Moy,

Blackpool Care,

Vice chair North Shore Forum,

North Shore,

Blackpool.