THE last few times I have been in Stourbridge town centre, there has been a real buzz to the place, something that takes me back 30 years when we moved here.

The Tesco complex, along with its car parking, seems to have made all the difference. Our butcher tells me takings have gone up more than 10%.

People also seem to have a greater sense of purpose and knock me down with a feather, I even see smiles on people’s faces.

I’m fed up listening to the whingers so I want to thank the main person responsible for this.

Don’t faint but I am complementing a local politician, Les Jones, who for many years stuck to his guns and insisted the development take place inside the ring road against all the forces of big corporate money.

He got his way and so did Stourbridge, you only have to look to Cradley Heath to see what might have happened.

This positiveness seems to have rubbed off on us locals. Silly me, I dropped some confidential documents in town and two days later I received them in the post from Belinda McAneray, who posted them on to me without giving her address.

I take this opportunity to thank her.

The British spirit is not dead.

Richard Southwell