IN your last edition, there was a letter headed Nothing Can Save Post Offices which troubled me deeply. I set out below a few words to try and rebut the tenor of your correspondent s comments and to encourage the people of Ely and district to fight for

IN your last edition, there was a letter headed 'Nothing Can Save Post Offices' which troubled me deeply. I set out below a few words to try and rebut the tenor of your correspondent's comments and to encourage the people of Ely and district to fight for the assets that the city has.

Dear editor, madam, may I please

With hand on heart and bending knees

Request room in your fine paper

To mention the post office closure caper

A lengthy letter in your last issue

with me struck a discordant note

"Nothing can save the post offices "

is what your correspondent wrote

"Due to a Directive from Brussels

post office closures are inevitable

no point in petitioning or protesting

It is sad I know and truly regrettable".

Friends, there is an old naval tradition

It's true I heard this from my Mum

When England is in grave danger

You will hear Francis' Drake's drum

Well I have heard the drum in Ely

last night beside the River Ouse

I heard the muffled roll of drum beat

And knew the faceless ones were loose.

To say that PO closure is inevitable

is to beg the question so they say

nothing in this world is inevitable

unless you want it to be that way

So come then yeomen of England

remember Cressy and Agincourt

fight for the courthouse and post office

or they WILL take away a lot more.

But please do not just fight to retain

the fine assets of our lovely town

demand the things that you want

to add more jewels to our city's crown.

TUCKERMAN