When the Relief Road was completed some while back, it was a new-found pleasure for many local residents to get in their cars and escape the two run-down main streets and high parking charges of Weymouth, and take a short drive to the county town and enjoy an upmarket change of scenery.

Now, with ongoing Covid-19 dictating an uncertain change in lifestyle, the pleasure of visiting Dorchester has reduced considerably, as I have recently observed.

The closure of M&S certainly contributed to the down-turn, when the store turned its back on the county town earlier this year.

The costly Brewery Square development has never really taken off, while the historic Antelope Walk now comprises mainly of shop units To Let.

Finally, with no parking meters and traffic wardens, it is now the turn of Poundbury to be the “In Place”..

A previously favourite outlet now employs a person who verbally has taken me to task on two recent visits for not wearing my face-mask correctly. Then, not having a smartphone, one is treated with impatience when verbally supplying personal contact details for Track&Trace.

The last straw is when attempting to pay by cash. An upmarket Dorchester store now insists on payment by card only - Is this legal?

Thank God I am getting old.

BARRY SAMPSON

Newstead Road Weymouth