Local knowledge
Sir: Your article 'Welcome to chameleon country' (5 March) by Matthew Engel, and its reference to the most beautiful Northamptonshire village of Eydon we (its residents) think, to say the least, is discour- teous and entirely without foundation.
Courtesy is something the villagers of Eydon are proud of, and had Mr Engel taken the trouble to visit the oldest Eydo- nian he would have learnt much which he would have found of interest, and fascinat- ing historical facts which he would as an author have treasured from the vaults of Eydon history.
The sub-post office he mentions is the 'From the shortage of concrete boots, I'd say it was the Moscow Mafia.' most efficient and prettiest in the United Kingdom, which, again, we who live in Eydon are most fortunate to have Neighbourhood Watch begins at the post office and it is up to everyone to treat strangers to the village with a certain amount of caution, having in the past been deceived into losing property.
Wheelie-bins, which he refers to, are a mode of life and most convenient in keep- ing the village tidy and if he had been in Eydon at 11 a.m. most of these would have been disposed of.
The desertion which Mr Engel refers to is a `myth'; inside the cottages and houses he would have found older residents, who are an invaluable part of village life so dif- ferent to the noisy and loutish town life full of crime and disorder.
I hope I have given Mr Engel a better and fairer description of village life and, in particular, a more balanced view of Eydon and its residents.
Ronnie Pettifer
Stoneleigh, Eydon, Daventry, Northants
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