MR Dixon’s letter under your banner heading last Saturday requires some balancing from that age group that he pillories. In the sixties you could only borrow less than three times the male’s salary. So his £25,000 house could only be bought by an £8,000 earner.

That was a very high salary then.

Does he not want successful councillors? The allowances are to enable less wealthy candidates to come forward and so widen the representation on council.

Let us not forget those of us who had to serve two years’ National Service on around £2 a week. (I was then held on unpaid reserve for a further 20 years). By taking risks, working hard, living modestly, we now have a lovely house, but have never bought a new car, nor a new bicycle before that. We have chosen to provide for our old age, four children and help for our 10 grandchildren.

We all have different aims and ways of investing our time and talents. We are grateful to those who stand for council and all the volunteers who have for many years made up the big hearted society. We see the same good people at the many different voluntary service and charity events of Westbourne and Bournemouth.

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