Your articles comparing then and now of what was an important trading thoroughfare in this market town and particularly Spencer Dibble’s contribution last week has prompted me to look back in time.

Although not born in Somerset, my early and formative years were spent in Highbridge and along with many others I grew up with, we have good memories of the bustle of the streets and the close community we shared.

Many will remember the two cottages just inside the gate on the approach to the station. Royston Porter, another contemporary of ours, lived there, and together with Elizabeth (?) whose father managed Rossiter’s the jewellers, which became the pet shop Spencer refers to, we walked daily to the Infants School, at the age of six!

The school crossing man whose name I cannot recall used to shout at us, he was probably understandably edgy with the traffic, so we used to cross the main road ourselves further up Church Street and cut through King Street and the Poplar Estate. Our parents never found out!

There was a shop next to the Coopers Arms, now the Indian takeaway. I cannot remember what it was in the early 1950’s but it subsequently became a temporary library and later Neil Cloutman occupied it for his stationery business, but that was the 1970’s. Mervyn Bamsey, the decorator, had the shop next to Twigg’s and lived over with his wife and two sons, Steve and Paul. He was well known as a bandleader in his spare time and very well liked. He died tragically in an accident at work. David Willis Ltd was the cycle shop, which initially was next to Bamsey’s but later moved into the larger building; Morland’s original post-war factory. I think that was occupied by Thyer’s the agricultural engineers in the 60’s and they had a place on the main road at West Huntspill. Memory gets a little hazy here!

Francis Maggs had the metal engraving business in the old cheese market, next to the jewellers mentioned above. I have many other happy recollections of the 50’s and 60’s which was probably the heyday for the town. The decline in retail activity began in the mid 70’s and seems to have gathered pace in the past couple of decades.

I look forward to reading more contributions from some whose memories may be sharper than mine!

GEOFFREY SHICKLE, Burnham-on-Sea Journalist Harry Mottram writes: your note on Maggs engravers caught my eye as I worked there the summer of 1978 when a student. I'd be interested to hear from others who worked in the factory – where they also made industrial signs for various firms. Email harry.mottram@nqsw.co.uk.