I WOULD like to congratulate all those who succeeded in staging the 16th Bournemouth Air Festival. Against all the (financial) odds, and although being a truncated programme, the Air Festival thrilled and delighted once more.

BCP Council, the Destination Management Board, Air Festival Patrons and Sponsors and our precious hospitality industry, along with countless enthusiasts, all worked together to stage an event that is the envy of other seaside towns.

I am looking forward to being able to contribute to the Echo's 'Readers Forum' on the valued and essential content in our local Press. The Echo remains a vital channel for democratic scrutiny and civic awareness. Local Press is vital so ensure you contribute to a most welcome invitation from the Editor. It's support of the Air Festival of course played no mean part again this year. Which brings me to my point, 'community pay back'.

Many enjoyed the Air Festival but 'took their own sandwiches' so to speak. The council has asked for 'donations' to assist the balancing of the Air Festival budget but there are others ways to say 'thank you'.

Reporting a particularly shabby and neglected pedestrian traffic island, I spent a vigorous 30 minutes clearing leaves, weeds, green mould and litter from one that seemingly had not seen a broom in a few years...

The reflector panels are missing and the leaf mulch made the 'tactile' section of the island undetectable for blind people, even if they were barefoot I would suspect.

With hot water and a cleaning agent, you can now tell how tall I am as to how far up the lamppost I could reach which is now, once again, white.

Despite reporting it (there are many ways to do this...) I have now saved BCP the cost of sending out a crew.

So, there's my 'community pay back' for the Air Festival.

We need to bring community power sometimes and we can't rely of The Dorset Devils to clear everything up in our road.

Nigel Hedges

Bournemouth