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Retain fine restaurant

AFTER much mournful musing I have decided to add further comments to those made by Mr Offer, of The Octagon Restaurant in the Adver on August 27.

The Octagon is a splendid restaurant and is special for its unique design.

I may be wrong but I believe it to be the only octagonal building in Swindon.

It is also because of Mr Offer’s beautiful homemade baking and that also done by others there, plus the delicious home-cooked meals served there.

It is an ill-judged, inconsiderate and inhuman plan by Swindon Borough Council to deny renewal of the lease and demolish the restaurant which provides such a worthwhile and valuable service to the bus station area and which Mr Offer has worked so hard for so many years to build and maintain.

His daughter also is a very capable baker and would continue to run it efficiently if allowed to.

The cool and competent chef is commendable and between them they would continue to ensure its culinary success.

All the staff are efficient and endearing and deserve better than to be thrown out of their jobs just because it unblocks a bureaucratic bulldozer.

With its special status as the only master bakers’ outlet in Swindon and considering the difficulty Mr Offer may experience in finding alternative premises it would be an unnecessary tragedy if the Octagon should go.

If it were to be retained it would be a vital asset to the new bus station.

And, if it has to be demolished perhaps the council could reserve some land for it to be rebuilt on a bigger scale.

A new Octagon of a modern design would benefit the bus and coach passengers using the new facility.

I earnestly entreat Swindon Council to renew the lease or allocate a new site and preserve this excellent eatery.

ROBERT MURRAY

Swindon

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Escaping from conflict

RESPONDING to Peter Mallinson (Your Say) Adver, September 5, in which he says: “These young families are running away from a conflict in their native country instead of staying and helping to resolve it.”

Can Mr Mallinson please tell Adver readers how he would resolve a war that has been raging for six years, has seen an estimated 500,000 killed and hundreds more displaced?

Would Mr Mallinson continue to live in Syria if he was a father with a young family?

And it really is absurd of him to compare the conflict in Syria to Britain in 1939.

MARTIN WEBB

Swindon Road, Old Town

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Roadworks cause woe

A FANTASTIC example of superb planning yet again by Swindon Borough Council with the roadworks on Akers Way from September 5 to 23.

I agree that the road is in desperate need of repair and the sooner, the better. However, what I cannot fathom is why, when we have just had six weeks of summer holidays with less traffic on that particular road than normal for this period, do they choose to do it the week the schools go back?

What makes this situation even better is that Thames Water has chosen to do road works on the alternative route of Mead Way at the same time – surely these companies can talk to each other about planned works?

Coun Dale Heenan said: “There will be some inconvenience to drivers and residents, but we have tried to keep the disruption to a minimum by keeping the road open throughout the work and scheduling it outside of peak times.”

Judging by the traffic queues I’ve experienced so far this week, this has not happened.

A journey to work that takes me 10 minutes took me at least 45 minutes on the last two days.

I’m going to apply for a job for my adopted monkey from Bristol Zoo in the department which plans these events.

I feel he will fit in well and possibly even do a better job.

FIONA MORRIS

Lilian Close, Swindon