[Gayle]

And for one final time - I am NOT advocating papering over the cracks. The cracks are there and they are completely visible for everyone to see. All I'm saying is that there are also, alongside the cracks, some good features and we shouldn't lose sight of them. We shouldn't let the cracks be the one and only feature that we talk about.

If we start talking about the good things and perhaps embracing new ideas we might get a more positive attitude which will give a good impression to outsiders and the investors who can afford to fix the cracks might start coming back to the town.

Ironically, if we sink much further we'll manage to hit the bottom of the pile as far as wealth/investment etc goes and we will become classed as such a deprived area that the government will have to start ploughing millions into the area.