Dear Editor,

Which do you suppose is the time of year when residents of Minehead are most likely to be putting letters in pillar boxes? Easy, you say. In the weeks coming up to Christmas, of course. So which twerp has decided to put two of the three town centre post boxes out of action this week? No doubt a young person who does their communications by eMail or social media. Ah but, don't worry, you can use your smart phone to scan the QR code to find another post box. If you know how to scan QR codes. I do, but I bet a lot do not.

Sadly, I also believe the adapted pillar boxes may not be suitable for the brilliant knitted adornments we have been treated to in recent months. And they will take parcels up to the size of a shoebox, so likely to fill up very quickly if someone posts their Christmas presents or mail order returns.

At least we still have, for the time being, a post office with real people serving behind the counter.

David Beach

Minehead

Dear Editor,

A massive thank you to everyone who has supported the charity stall in Liddymore Road, Watchet throughout the year by donating sale goods and making lots of purchases.

I have been able to make donations totalling £8,000 in time for Christmas, these will be shared equally between Knights' Templar School, Little Vikings' Nursery, Watchet Girl Guides and Watchet Sea Scouts.

KT School are upgrading their library, Little Vikings Nursery are updating their outside equipment, it will help the Guides towards their HQ and the Scouts for their next project. Thank you for supporting our local children.

Anne Reeder

Watchet

Dear Editor,

If you or a loved one are enjoying a chocolate advent calendar this Christmas, take a moment to look at its size. Shockingly, around a third of the UK’s egg-laying hens spend most of their lives in cages that give each bird even less space than that - roughly the size of a sheet of A4 paper.

The good news is that shoppers are increasingly choosing to avoid eggs from caged birds. Thanks to this shift, around 70 per cent of hens now live on RSPCA Assured-certified farms, managed by dedicated farmers following hundreds of strict higher welfare standards.

If you haven’t already done so, one of the easiest ways to support higher welfare farming is by switching to eggs with the RSPCA Assured label. This ensures your eggs come from hens that are free to move, stretch their wings, perch, and forage whether they are kept indoors or out.

So when you’re doing your festive shopping this year, please look for the RSPCA Assured label on your eggs and help give more hens a cage-free Christmas.

Charlotte Thomas

Regional assessment manager, RSPCA Assured