I AM sure many of your readers will be very interested in the efforts being made by Annette Hennessy and her colleague Carol Thomas in attempting to arrange for the preservation of the bell which used to hang at the lighthouse on Battery Point Lighthouse at Portishead.

I thought your readers might like to see this photo of the bell in its original position which I noted I took on May 4 1958, showing the bell in situ and also that the ship was called Merchant.

My wife and I have a great affection for the town to which we come quite often and are very interested to read of the intended preservation of the bell.

These sorts of artefacts are, of course, irreplaceable and form part of our heritage.

I lived in Portishead until I married (51 years ago). My father ran the White Cot Stores at the Clevedon end of the High Street at that time.

In the mid fifties I worked for Charles Brand, who were one of the contractors who built the Portishead B Power Station on the west side of where the Marina now is.

As part of my job I had to meet up with the ‘gangers’ and from their figures had to calculate on a slide rule how much concrete they had laid.

I was sorry to hear from Annette that Alf Poole has recently passed away - he also worked for the same firm.

I know he was very interested in Portishead local history and I met him at the flower show a couple of years ago at the relevant stall.

In my single days, I’d often meet up with five friends on Battery Point and we would sometimes stroll along to a café which used to be at the western end of the promenade.

From memory, this was run by a Dutch family called De Huygens, which we used to call ‘Highjinks’! The six of us all married, but sadly two couples have passed away.

Twice a year or so, the remaining four couples including my wife and I, meet up for a reunion meal, sometimes at the excellent Royal Hotel.

ROBIN SHORT

Overndale Road, Downend, Bristol

Restored

IT IS good to see the shaft of the old rectory sundial suitably restored in the Millennium Garden, adjacent to St Peter’s, Portishead.

Malcolm Drummond is quite right: the sundial survived the unfortunate demolition of the old rectory and was only removed recently when the new rectory was pulled down and Parsonage Court built on the site.

Happily Bishop Sainsbury gave it sanctuary and always wanted the sundial to be placed somewhere suitable and Portishead in Bloom did the rest. Yes, it may support a bird bath, because the bronze dial went missing before the bishop rescued the stone pillar. Anyone know where it went?

NIGEL COOMBES

High Street, Portishead

Anger

I DON’T think that Tesco realises the depth of anger there is in the community of West Hill over its new, imposed store.

It is yet another example of a huge, profit-driven, ‘untouchable’ organisation doing whatever it wants, wherever it wants. Tesco is successful because it is relatively cheap - it is cheap because it has massive economies of scale, it can squeeze producers mercilessly and it can parachute into areas to mop up profit unchallenged by residents or local government.

Well it seems to me quite logically that people’s anger, frustrated by democracy and peaceful means of objection and protest, will find other expressions and outlets.

SEB CARTER

Polden Road, West Hill

Good deed

I JUST want to say a big thank you to the person who retrieved my car keys from my car door on Fosseway, Clevedon.

I was very sleep deprived that day thanks to our baby and although my car isn’t very worth stealing, I’d hate to lose it!

So thank you very much for having gone to the trouble and not just walked on by.

I’ll make sure to pass on the good deed.

REBECCA STEPHENS

Fosseway, Clevedon

Thank you

I WOULD very much like to say a belated thank you to all the people in Clevedon who have been so kind to me in the last six months.

I have had two very bad falls. The first one in July. I fell off a step outside a charity shop – two kind ladies took me to the Clevedon Hospital. Thank you both.

A month ago I fell on a bus. Thank you to all the people, including the driver, who helped.

You were all so kind. Thank you all the staff at the Clevedon hospital, Weston General Hospital and the ambulance crew.

You were all so helpful in my hour of need.

JOY GALLAGHER

Westbourne Avenue, Clevedon

Posted it back

I WANT to give a special thank you to the person who not only found my wallet on Monday February 25 on Strode Road, Clevedon, but posted it back to me.

We often hear about the bad in the world but not often enough do we hear about the good.

I was so pleased to get it back thanks again.

MATT HARRISON

Strode Road, Clevedon

Thoughtfully

MANY thanks to the person who kindly returned a medical CD and medical letter.

These items were dropped unnoticed between leaving Backwell station and walking up to Nailsea.

Somebody thoughtfully picked them up from the pavement and posted it all through our letterbox on Saturday, February 16.

I haven’t got a name for this person but hope they are reading this very thankful message.

BRENDA HUGHES

The Willows, Nailsea