Often at odds with authority, Echo columnist Jim Worsdale must be listened to.

The Southend scene has no more experienced and respected observer. When he points out the shortcomings of the current council he does it from the dispassionate view of a veteran newspaperman.

He speaks for a generation now mostly retired, hurt to see our town and all we worked for complacently sliding into the grasping hands of property developers and casino cowboys.

Landmarks like the pier, our cliffs and the bandstand, loved by generations, eroded, torn down, or desecrated beyond recognition.

Long may Jim continue to make his opinions heard.

Ken Westell
Kilworth Avenue
Southend