I WISH to reply to Mr Omerod's letter (Citizen, May 24). Mr Farrer's letter believing that joining the Euro means giving up our gold reserves is not worth replying to.

Joining the Merchant Navy in 1942, a fifth of the world's shipping flew the red duster. Now we are lucky if the crew of the Fleetwood to Knott End ferry remember to run up the flag in the morning.

At the start of the war British investment owned 90% of the American railways and we had billions and billions of pounds invested in America and the rest of the world. When the war ended, Britain and America were the only vehicle producers left and British shareholders reeped huge dividends, leaving the workers using clapped out prewar machine tools.

When production started to fall, who got the blame? Why the British workers --another blatent lie (Nissan workers in the North east are the most efficient in the world).

And who can ever forget Lady Docker's gold plated Daimler. No, Mr Omerod, I learnt in the school debating class -- blind your opponent with facts and figures that he can neither deny nor confirm and you've got it cracked.

We are still a little piddling country owned by the Japanese and American investors, but I still believe that, if an Englishman doesn't believe in the 48 articles of the creed, he believes in the 49th, namely that he will not meet his superior anywhere.

Edwin M.Rimmer, Lawsons Road, Thornton.