BRIAN PARKER, of Victoria Road, Dartmouth, writes:

Many years ago I watched operations at an open cast coal mine. 

Firstly machines removed the overburden, followed by a team of men with brooms and shovels to clean up the top of the coal seam.  Another machine then carefully extracted the coal, again followed by the men with their shovels to pick up the last of the coal at the bottom of the seam.  I asked the manager why go to the trouble to employ the men with brooms and shovels to recover quite small quantities of coal compared with the main seam.  He replied, 'That's our profit.'

I tell this tale to admonish those traders in Dartmouth who are sloppy in observing their published opening hours.  There is an analogy between the coal seam and opening hours.  By opening late or closing early, trade is lost, perhaps not much but it is all missed profit. An example is that recently I felt in need of tonsorial attention.  On three separate occasions I went to an establishment in the Market Place at 9.25am, 4.20pm and 4.45pm, all well within the displayed opening hours of 9.00 - 5.00. Each time the shop was closed. So I had to go elsewhere.

We often hear about the difficulties faced by Dartmouth traders and we sympathise with them but, in some cases, troubles are self-inflicted.