IT is a pity to see Malton Town Centre being talked down on the Gazette & Herald letters page. Malton has an excellent town centre and empty shops are being re-let.

Malton is being promoted as Yorkshire’s Food Capital, and has an abundance of food shops. Some of them are highly specialised and sell produce you would not find in a supermarket.

For example, Derek Fox is one of the few butchers in the county which is licensed to sell game, and the fish shop sells such exotic luxuries as lobsters and crabs.

Malton has several bakers, a pet shop, and two green grocers who sell fresh local fruit and vegetables when in season. If you want cereals, dried fruits, flour, herbs, spices or pasta, you can get as much or as little of it as you want from Scoops. The Heron store sells frozen food and all the other general groceries you might want for your weekly shop.

And there is no shortage of pubs and restaurants, including an Italian, a Thai, an Indian and a Mexican, as well as a Chinese take away and a fish and chip shop.

We have a specialist bike shop, garages, electrical and computer shops, stores selling country clothing, equestrian equipment, country clothes, DIY, furniture, kitchen equipment, ladies fashions etc.

We have a cinema which shows the latest films as they come out and the Milton Rooms as a venue for theatre, concerts, dances and the arts.

Prices are, generally speaking, comparable with prices paid elsewhere. We are lucky and proud to have such a wide variety of so many good quality shops.

Councillor Paul Andrew, Malton Ward

Blow to social care

AFTER a generation of waiting, any hopes we had of new progress in social care have been swiftly dashed with the news that care of older and vulnerable adults has apparently been downgraded in importance.

The new Prime Minister has said she means to support the disadvantaged as she takes up the reins of Government, but the loss of a dedicated ministerial post for social care looks like a backward step.

In my view social care should have its own Secretary of State and not be looked after by a parliamentary under-secretary of state for community health and care, however able he is, in a directorate that also includes digital, technology and local government.

Everyone agrees that social care is going through a crisis due to chronic under-funding and the impact of the economic downturn. As it settles to the tasks ahead the Government needs to rethink this as social care needs to rise in priority, not fall.

Mike Padgham, chairman of Independent Care Group, Scarborough

Hardy climbers

THE Pickering committee of Yorkshire Cancer Research would like to thank all the Pickering people, particularly the small businesses, who sponsored Bridget and Grace Clark who successfully completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge on Saturday, July 23.

Bridget and Grace originally hoped to raise just £500, but their final total, including Gift Aid, exceeded £2,300, a figure which could not have been achieved without the generosity of the sponsors.

All of this money will go towards helping Yorkshire people avoid, survive and cope with cancer.

Ken Chadwick, chairman of the Pickering committee of Yorkshire Cancer Research

Special memories

ON Saturday, July 23, my wife Ann and I visited the Kirkbymoorside History Group based on the site of Ryedale Auctioneers Kirkbymoorside, supported by The National Lottery.

There were both pictures and articles about the old town, with warm, friendly volunteers on hand answering questions. They did a good job.

It has a special place in my heart because it is where I met my wife many years ago. She was born in Kirkbymoorside. There have been many changes over the years, some good, some bad.

It would be nice if some of the younger generation in Kirkbymoorside took an interest in the history of the old market town to keep the memories going.

Good luck to the Kirkbymoorside History Group volunteers.

Mike Minchella, Scarborough