SIR — Re the letter "Happy to leave Taunton" (Your Letters October 26), your corespondent obviously wasn't at all happy with her day out.

But I'm so glad she went because she made me laugh out loud with her observations and rather relieved to read someone else is mostly in despair with what one has to put up with on a day-to-day basis around town these days.

I feel the same about Minehead. The town is fine, as is two thirds of its population. Perhaps the last "iffy" third went into Taunton on the same Friday as poor Mrs Hawker!

It set me thinking about what I was doing on that particular Friday. Fortunately for me, I was nowhere near Taunton or she might also have mentioned a manic looking woman scurrying along the kerb, muttering crossly about the state of things in town today!

I recalled that I was on a golden path of autumn leaves, not too far from Minehead. I had seen cheery and very fit people, striding along with happy dogs.

The largest bodies were tubby little ponies, the greatest crowd a herd of red deer springing ahead over my track.

The prickliest things around were holly trees covered in glossy red berries, and the most poisonous, the glorious red and white spotted toadstools. No traffic! No hassle!

I know the fearful folk Mrs Hawker mentioned would never bother to get there. It's too steep for starters, they'd take fright at all the beauty and be too out of breath to swear at it.

Don't lose heart Mrs Hawker, God does help us! Britain, as you see, is mostly very beautiful!

Ros Robinson,

Bratton Lane,

Minehead.