Of course Bill Bryson blasted the Relief Road! As president of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England he had no choice.

Whatever his personal opinions, if he had expressed approval of the scheme the CPRE would have appointed a new President by now.

We all know he didn't venture into Weymouth - an incident on the east side of town (burst water main) created havoc on the northern approach and he didn't want to waste time queueing, thereby negating his own opposition.

Instead, like stout Cortez he stood on a hilltop and surveyed the scene then made his pronouncement from afar.

I wonder about other wastes of time. Littlemoor Road became a car park from one end to the other - and beyond.

How many contracts were unfulfilled? How many deliveries were missed? How many tradesmen didn't get to their next call? Did the passengers in the taxi at Chalbury Corner catch their train?

All because there was no alternative escape route for the turmoil that was unleashed by the burst.

The CPRE may be a necessary ginger group but here we have had enough of them.

What about a CPUE - the Campaign for the Protection of Urban England? It's needed urgently in many parts of the UK.

It doesn't exist - yet. But I am sure that if it did, there would be a vast and vociferous membership - perhaps even loud enough to drown the small and remote anti-road brigade's hollering.

John Rose, Ringstead Crescent, Weymouth.