WHEN are the people of Swindon going to wake up to the facts?

I refer, of course, to the ongoing saga of the Mechanics' Institute.

How many times do we think some good fairy is going to appear and offer to do something to save this building? How often are the Martha Parry's of this town going to scream in panic every time a plan is put forward that makes changes to what we currently have?

Hello? Wake up and smell the wetrot! The Mechanics as it was is gone and it will never return. It is not economically viable to use it in its present format and size. Fine in its age but that age is long past.

What we need now is something that will retain the main building while being profitable to the developer.

OK. We all know there is no such thing as a free lunch. Mathew Singh is no altruistic do-gooder. He plans to make a profit from the Mechanics' Institute and there is no law against that.

But nobody is fool enough to keep pouring money into a bottomless pit and he too will soon be gone if his plans are continuously delayed. If we want the Mechanics' to continue being part of our town we have got to work with him and not against him.

Think on Swindon! While what Mr Singh wishes to build might not be a thing of great beauty neither is the Mechanics' Institute in its current state. What we are being offered will be of benefit to the town centre and will ensure the building continues to grace Swindon, albeit in a different shape.

Having seen the official drawings I have to say that the Evening Advertiser appears to be guilty of scaremongering. The picture they ran on the front page recently does not show an accurate representation of what is being proposed.

Finally, I notice English Heritage has reared its ugly head again. Where the heck were you lot when the Institute was being vandalised and destroyed by the drug addicts? Where were you when all the windows were being smashed and the stone work damaged by frost? Where were you when the trees and shrubs were damaging the foundations?

Now you have someone to take a shot at and suddenly you are there in the limelight. Well, we don't need you now.

JULIAN A LEGGETT