Madam,

I am writing to thank Caleb Spencer and the Cambrian News for writing and publishing details of Bishop Thomas Burns’ letter to Aberystwyth mayor Brendan Somers.

By it you have successfully highlighted exactly the point which should most concern all members of Aberystwyth’s community: namely, that public money has been wasted over orchestrating a request for a survey of no relevance to the bishop’s decision.

You have well shown how the majority of town councillors present at the meeting were so bent on gaining the bishop’s agreement to a new survey, that they never actually heeded his lack of answer to their request.

How sad, that the council should go to such expensive and creative lengths to assume a double victory in a battle over which it has no authority, nor no accurate record.

I am quite sure the reported vow of councillors to now have as little to do with the bishop as possible will not just be welcomed by the man whom they attempted to humiliate in their council meeting, but also by the very many saddened parishioners who - while mourning the loss of a building - also choose to heed the greater virtue of ecclesial obedience over any far lesser virtue of civic pride.

I can assure councillors Strong, Williams and Davies (et al) that while they heed their own call to preserve local history, others will make new history.

Yours etc,

Reuben Purchase, Alban Square, Aberaeron.

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