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SIR — What a delight I found before my eyes last Monday morning when I found that the miserable spectacle called the old McDonald s in St Peter s Street, St Albans, was being blotted out by an in-your-face series of colourful, hand-painted panels depict

SIR - What a delight I found before my eyes last Monday morning when I found that the miserable spectacle called the "old" McDonald's in St Peter's Street, St Albans, was being blotted out by an in-your-face series of colourful, hand-painted panels depicting a cheerful looking street.

On questioning the good people busy with ladder and hand-tools, I found that Oaklands College art students were responsible for this excellent "trompe-l'oeil". Thank goodness someone has had the initiative to deal with this eyesore. Congratulations Oaklands.

On another point, I really missed the annual book-sale in St Albans Old Town Hall this year. It's been on-going for many years now,

I was sorry to hear from Barrie Mort's letter some weeks ago that this Christmas book sale had been disallowed due to a "technical" decision by the district council which claimed that only a limited list of types of events were allowable. Included in the allowed list was "educational purposes". If giving the public of St Albans the extra opportunity of the pre-Christmas month to buy books at a reduced price isn't educational, then I don't know what is.

All right, some of the books concerned themselves with mere pastimes and not more erudite topics. Pastimes are surely several steps up the educational ladder from the the more mindless samples of TV.

It's St Albans loss and to what gain? Thanks to the former book-sale providers. Sorry to miss you this year.

CHRISTINE PATERSON,

Claudian Place, St Albans.