I am a relative newcomer to Dorchester, having only moved here five years ago.

However, I do feel that this gives me a different perspective on the town.

My thoughts are that we have a lovely town centre and that the market stalls add to the character.

This view is shared by my visitors, who all delight in it.

That is not to say that we DO NOT need some of the larger stores as there are not enough quality shops for those of us who live here all year round. It is such a shame that when we need to buy that something special we have to go further afield as neither Dorchester nor Weymouth really provide the choice of shops.

So I say let’s keep the market stalls and all the things that the tourists as well as the locals like, but let us also try to entice some of the larger concerns into the area, but not into the centre.

The smaller individual shops are what help to keep our visitors coming back.

A little thought and a little common sense would keep everyone happy.

Patricia Beeson, Dunnabridge Square, Poundbury