To the Editor

6 April (by second class post)

Dear Ms Lennier,

Please excuse my writing apropos of no preamble. I am not a resident of your village and it is only recently that I became aware of your admirable newsheet, having picked it up in a dental surgery in Casterbridge where perhaps one of your readers relinquished it in a moment of distraction when their appointment was called.

I hypothesise.

Nonetheless, I would be grateful if you were to take the time to consider my words and perhaps bring it to the attention of the relevant persons.

Firstly I must congratulate you on a diverting newsheet. It goes some way beyond other such similar productions I have had the experience of reading in the past. I trust you will keep up the good work.

Secondly, the immediate cause for my correspondence was an article relating to a talented young lady archer who seems to have brought credit on your village by achieving some success in a tournament. I'm afraid the article itself left me without a name for this young athlete other than "Everdene." I am unsure whether this is a first or second name.

Nonetheless, I am in the business of finding human interest stories which will translate well into marketing opportunities for sporting products. I would like, if possible to speak to any individuals who may be prepared to have their photo taken and provide some copy supporting a suitable sporting product.

It is all in the best taste, although unfortunately remuneration is modest. In this instance, Ms Everdene might perhaps be prepared to advertise an energy drink formulated for lady athletes known as "Fem-perk"? I would also be interested in speaking to other young sports-persons or teams with similar human interest backstories.

Yours sincerely

Bethany Gregory

(Ms Gregory can be contacted via the editor)

The Harbinger Newsletter

8 April (by post)

Dear Mrs Lennier,

I would like to raise the issue of the cobble stones in the village square.

I think they are a disgrace. I was speaking to a lady from the green party (she wanted me to mention that they are not affiliated to the national party) who agreed.

When are you going to do anything about it? They should be relaid and probably cleaned.

How would you feel if someone tripped over a loose one and injured themselves.

There are a lot of old people about.

I look forward to your reply and anticipate that this will become a priority without delay.

Yours faithfully

Cassie Brown (dancer)

The Editor, Tilebury 'Harbinger'

29 April (by electronic mail)

Dear Madam,

It is with immense difficulty that I restrain myself from allowing this letter to exceed the boundaries of propriety. I have considered legal action, direct action, organising community action and it is with great frustration that I am currently limited to writing this letter.

You should, however, be aware that I have not abandonned any option which may be avialable to me and reserve all my rights to take appropriate action as soon as I am able to take advice on how best to go about it. It seems to me that, at the very least, there are grounds to have you removed from the post which you hold. In fact, now that the question presents itself, I am not even sure how you obtained that position in the first place.

When Mrs Collett informed me that you had rejected the copy we supplied for the regular Special Correspondent column this month, I was so astonished that I was unable to speak for several minutes. I suffered a hot flush and felt dizzy. It was only my robust constitution which prevented me from collapsing into a chair or potentially more dangerously into a dead faint.

Not only was this decision incredible in light of the work we had done and the quality of the article, but it was inexplicable in that we had trailed the content in last month's issue and you well knew we were working on it.

It was also very late. The copy was with you four days ago, yet you informed us that you did not intend to use it only late this morning. This smacks of disingenuity of the highest order.

You are very well aware of my complaints. Nonetheless for the avoidance of doubt:

1. You have systematically ignored my submssions for the paper including updates of the activities of village committees;
2. You have abused me in your editorials and allowed your columnists to abuse me in the pages of the paper;
3. You have denied me the opportunity to contribute copy to an existing column on a matter of village interest - the application for Most Beautiful Village, South-West England. If now we do not secure preferment in that competition I will lay it at your door as progress is unlikely to be effective Without the support of the village paper.

I am left asking why it is you are so determined to exclude the views of the majority of Tilebury villagers from expressing themselves in the village newspaper.

Clearly you have an axe to grind and I have no alternative but to assume you have some kind of problem with me personally. I have given you no cause for such a view and believe that you are behaving irrationally. You will hear from me further.

Yours faithfully

Doreen Davies

(Chairperson of the village integration and charitable purposes committee) (Chairperson of the Village committee for the Beautiful Villages England application)