I HAD a good laugh when I read the letter from Mark Anderson (EA Mar 23) in which he suggested that I spent my summer days sitting on a Spanish beach wearing Union Jack shorts.

He could not be further from the truth and I assure him that I have never had a foreign holiday in my life.

I am a senior citizen living on a meagre pension and find it hard to manage a week's holiday in Weston super Mare let alone Spain.

I have however spent time in foreign parts but this was whilst serving in the Armed Forces.

First of all I was in Burma in 1945 (Mr Anderson may have heard of that country). I later served in Malaya during the Communist uprising and then in Aden during the RADFAN campaign. None of these occasions could be described as a holiday.

I agree entirely with Mr Anderson that we care about better public services and Ofsted failing schools and would point out to him that I have written many times criticising our tax raising, money wasting council.

Asylum is not a red herring. If the money spent on it was given to senior citizens it would help us to pay for the crippling rise in our council tax and maybe, just maybe, leave a little over to go towards a Spanish holiday, Union Jack shorts and all.

Charity is supposed to begin at home but I don't see much of it coming the way of us senior citizens.

R W SELWAY

Burden Close

Stratton St Margaret

Swindon