A pleasure associated with visiting the excellent Devizes market on Thursdays, was to take lunch in the basement restaurant of the Bear Hotel.

The menu offered a selection of really well cooked traditional British dishes, which were of great appeal to the diners, in the main, elderly. Indeed, a very reasonably priced two-course lunch was available for pensioners.

All of this has now been swept away by the new owners. The ambience of these rooms in this old coaching inn has been replaced by a soulless pseudo modern decor. The menu has changed to a cross between that of a burger bar and a fish and chip shop.

Surely enough of this type of fast food outlets already exist in Devizes. By their modernisation programme, the new owners have done a great disservice to the Bear, the town and those who previously could only here find such reasonably priced traditional meals.

Adrian Bishop, Castle Combe.