I HAVE fond recollections of my childhood in Altrincham, a town which is justly proud of its history.

But when I returned and saw the station last week, I was dismayed by the crumbling brickwork and masonry, the weeds and litter everywhere, rust, dirt, and perhaps worst of all, the fact that there were no toilets available.

In my younger days the station was attractive and cared for, as should be the case in any town wishing to give a good first impression to its visitors. Now, Altrincham station is a disgrace.

I see this sad, neglected place as the ugly face of privatisation - profit before service and, arguably, profit before service too. Have the owners, North West Trains, any intention of remedying this mess ar was I wasting my time snding them my comments sheet?

Ken Veitch, Pine Walk, Nantwich.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.