5 MARCH 1994, Page 28

Sir: It is absurd for Simon Courtauld to blame the

Catholic Bishop of Gibraltar for the present sitation there. Gibraltar is obvi- ously modelled on an English provincial town of about 50 years ago.

During my National Service I served in Gibraltar from February 1947 to July 1948 as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers, and, as 'They were only gelling orders.' far as I can see, very little has changed. There was no sex or 'night life' on the Rock then either. For this it was necessary to go to Spain. The town of La Linea had a num- ber of brothels which were confined, together with the 'night life', to a street known, significantly, as Gibraltar Street. The 'Costa del Sol' had of course not then been invented.

David S. M Williams

555 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London N13