SIR — One can imagine that fresh bread would have been baked in the neighbourhood for the benefit of local people continually for the period that Williton has existed as a rural community (a period well in excess of 400 years).

It is therefore very sad to see that the local Jones' Bakery has recently closed, no doubt the business no longer proving viable in the light of keen rivalry from two competing supermarkets on its doorstep.

I suppose that this is indicative of our time, that the consumer values the convenience of the "one stop shop" over and above the service and range of choice offered by a local bakery.

Fresh sandwiches and rolls made to order as well as pasties, pies and pastries (not forgetting the gingerbread men) will no longer be available and will represent a significant loss to those that care.

I am sure I am not alone in regarding the ever-diminishing self-sufficiency of the local community as a sign of its diminishing sustainability.

While one big store in the centre of Williton would guarantee its economic viability, would the resulting boarded up empty individual retail units guarantee Williton's social viability? I think not.

When Williton ceases to be a pleasant place to live, then pleasant people will no longer choose to live here and ultimately it will become just another "drive-by" town.

To mark the sad passing of an era, I would like to thank Janet and her colleagues at the bakery for their cheery and friendly service over the years and wish them well for the future.

I myself will continue to shop at the individual stores even though they may at times be a few pence more expensive; I at least enjoy the social interaction that they provide.

The closure of Jones' Bakery has yet again demonstrated that if we don't use it then we will surely lose it and we will all be that much poorer as a result.

John Baly,

Sir Gilbert Scott Court,

Williton.