REGARDING the proposed supermarket in Great Harwood, over the years I, and many of my contemporaries who have lived all our lives in the town, have watched with growing sadness and dismay the disappearance of so much of our industry and the closure of so many of our shops.

The new supermarket, should it materialise, could prove to be a lifeline for the town, not solely because of the jobs it would provide, but also because of the choice it would offer to people who do not have private transport to get to out-of-town supermarkets.

The large number who already shop outside the town might no longer feel the need to do so.

I share the concerns of those who fear the loss of nursery facilities, particularly those catering for children with special needs, but I understand that the much-maligned former councillor for Netherton Ward, County Councillor George Slynn, is doing his utmost to ensure that these facilities will continue to be provided in our town. May I add that I, personally, am no advocate of large supermarkets, preferring to shop locally whenever I can, and I believe that those shops offering personal service and value for money will have little to fear.

However, since it appears that supermarkets are here to stay, let us have one in our own town where it may even prove advantageous to our few remaining shops.

A frequent complaint of many Great Harwood people is that too much money is spent in Accrington to the detriment of Hyndburn's smaller towns.

Well, now that there is a chance of money being spent in Great Harwood, let us seize it with both hands and look to the future instead of lamenting the past.

WINNIE BRIDGES,Cambridge Street, Great Harwood.

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