SIR — Re the letter last week suggesting Minehead needs to be more like Ilfracombe, to put things in context, over the years the neglected town of Ilfracombe was seen as a white elephant and a tour on a mechanical elephant was even one of the ideas introduced (after repeated breakdowns it had to be abandoned). Most importantly, some 20 years ago Ilfracombe had an injection of millions of pounds in grant aid under a partnership between English Heritage and North Devon District Council within which a brand new theatre was built and a new "Victorian" bandstand was installed in attractive gardens, and individual owners of Victorian buildings undertook grant-aided renovation. Because it still retains some of its largest original hotels, it now gains from hordes of "oldies" on coach trips, particularly in the low season (the downside of this is high unemployment of hotel workers in the off-season). Commercial fishing is still carried on, as well as numerous fishing trip/pleasure boats and sailings to Wales on the paddle steamers. There are certainly some aspects of the town that we can see might be beneficial when attributed to Minehead, but It should also be borne in mind that logistically Ilfracombe is not confined by our more extreme estuarial limitations and narrow access roads. It has much-improved road links to the main regional centre for North Devon just 12 miles away, dissecting just one village, and thence is connected via a by-pass to the impressive North Devon Link Road. However, as Mr Mendoza said in his letter, Ilfracombe's recent upsurge has mainly been attributed to one man, the "Damien Hirst factor". He had lived in North Devon for some time and firstly opened a restaurant/gallery on the harbour and subsequently gave a statue to the town. The statue with a pregnant woman showing part of her abdomen open did not gain universal approval but is controversial, hence interesting for visitors. Now though, this same "benefactor" has plans for developing 750 homes on 200 acres of farmland fields. Perhaps, as the saying goes, we should be careful of what we wish for. Paula Brain-Smith, Burgundy Road, Minehead.