THE place: a room in Bury, cosy and warm, spacious, spotless, with soft piped music, framed pictures on the wall and even the "minders" had their own room. In fact, it was so nice I was reluctant to leave.

Where was I? Why, the toilets down the side of Marks & Spencer in Bury. A real credit to the shopping area, they can't be faulted.

Another room, another place: no doors, cold, uninviting, wet, full of litter, with an overpowering smell of disinfectant. There were no pictures, loads of graffiti, and paint was peeling from the pipes. I did what I had to do, and got out - quick! Where was I? Why, in Radcliffe's notorious toilets, a place my wife refuses to visit no matter what the circumstances.

I read in the Bury Times (Aug 27) of the problem of Elms Square in Whitefield which now resembles a bomb site.

It appears we have a stalemate. Councillor Boden said he was concerned, but there was little the town hall could do about it.

Didn't I read in the Bury Times the previous week that Bury was going to spend another £3 million on further coverage of the shopping area? Come on Coun Boden, if Elms Square and the Radcliffe toilets had been in the centre of Bury, something would have been done ages ago.

It isn't just the toilets that stink!

PIG SICK

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.