For years, countless letters have been written with regard to the restoration of Southend Pier.

They all seem to have an underlying suggestion that Southend could return to being a holiday resort equal to places such as Blackpool.

Yet even in its heyday, Southend catered for entirely different visitors to other holiday towns.

Southend relied mainly on day trippers, with trains and coaches disgorging thousands of trippers who would return the same evening.

I do not believe these days will ever come back, as people will never return en masse to rail and coach travel and the roads and parking problems pose a huge deterrent to car owners.

Southend should lower its sights and seek to introduce leisure and shopping facilities for the semi local population. Twentieth century memories should be laid to rest.

W H Diment
Church Road
Laindon