In the far distant days of my youth I lived in Cheltenham which has a beautiful long promenade of shops. I also thoroughly enjoyed the film 'Singing in the Rain' and felt that Gene Kelly's rendition of the main theme was nothing short of fantastic.

I had a secret ambition, sadly never fulfilled, of emulating Gene, singing my way down Cheltenham Promenade, swinging round the lamp-posts and generally getting very wet!

Age has overtaken me and I no longer have the same ambition. In fact the idea of splashing through puddles and standing under gushing drainpipes thrills me not at all.

So now that I live is Liskeard I would like to be able to walk down the side of Webbs Hotel in the rain without having water cascading over me from a drainpipe which finishes half way down its wall.

Much as the current owner may wish to give residents of Liskeard a free shower, I wish to decline his kind offer. Instead I would like to ask him to at least make the most basic repairs to his building - whilst we all wait for it to be sold, yet again.

If this is the state of the drainpipes what is the state of the roof and what may come flying through the air when the next gale comes our way? Possibly something a little more dangerous than Gene Kelly and his umbrella.

I think it is time that the residents of Liskeard were given the name and business address of the current owner so that we can all express our feelings to him directly on the state of his property.

J Jones

Liskeard