I was amazed Mr Hungerford (Letters, December 14) could not think of anything Trowbridge has gained or achieved in the past 10 years that should be celebrated.

Important enhancements to the town's retail facilities include the Shires development, the Tesco superstore and the pedestrianisation of Fore Street. Excellent new leisure facilities include Weatherspoons, Red & White, two indian restaurants, Chicago Rock which is due to be opened next year, the swimming pool at Clarendon Sports Centre and the Arc Theatre.

Community centres have been opened on the Longfield and Studley Green estates; the latter has had one of the most extensive housing improvement schemes ever seen in this county. I think that is a lot of progress.

A town is not defined just by its facilities. Trowbridge has a plethora of voluntary groups, sports clubs and charitable organisations that make an important contribution to the lives of people in the town. It has a considerable community spirit very few towns support events of the scale of the West Wilts Show and Spotlight on Trowbridge. There are considerable successes Trowbridge Town Youth FC has been the most successful youth football club in Wiltshire for the past three seasons.

The town enjoys a first class education service with very good primary and secondary schools and a college that was one of the first in the country to achieve accredited status.

We don't have other facilities people may desire. It is not for the want of trying.

Those who wish to criticise should select their targets carefully. How can councils provide the facilities people want when successive governments keep cutting council funding? How can commercial companies make major investments when financing pressures increase the rates of return demanded and analysis of the population of the Trowbridge area suggests returns may be marginal?

There is hope. Low interest rates cut the cost of investment. There are sites available for development. Those who have been criticised in the letters column continue to work hard for the town. There is much to do, but let's have a sense of perspective there is a great deal to be proud of in this town.

George Bright,

Principal,

Wiltshire College.