I AM now 83 and my parents moved to the Bowling Green Avenue in 1936 (I was four) and from then to 1948, we enjoyed the wonderful playground the Humpty Dumps.

Our back garden backed on to the Dumps – the fields beyond also were great for sledging in winter and the walks to Baunton Copse for playing in and the River Churn for fishing and paddling.

These were wonderful years even through the war, which was exciting for small boys.

I even remember a plane crash near Baunton – and one instance, an enemy plane returning from up north strafing our houses with machine gun bullets.

Please do your utmost to prevent house building on the Humpty Dumps.

JOHN DYDE

Cirencester