MUCH has been written about the wow factor for our city of Southampton. Any true Sotonian would dearly love to put it well and truly back on the map as a place to be proud to live in.

In my view the very things that are missing at this moment are the things we took for granted in years gone by.

Such things as well advertised and well attended dance venues such as the Royal Pier, the Guildhall and the Banister Hall.

We also had our much missed and much promised ice rink and our motorcycle speedway.

These are the kind of things that make a city tick and most other towns and cities take for granted.

Southampton has somewhere along the line lost its way and fallen way behind most other places of any importance by concentrating too much on single items such as the QE2 and the Spitfire monument but it first of all needs to give the public a place of interest for their leisure hours and gambling casinos will not do.

Bingo halls are all right for people who like bingo as are casinos for gamblers but for the rest of us there is very little.

Surely it wouldn't involve too much imagination or cost to hold moderately priced dance venues at weekends with a decent refreshment bar for socialising.

Tie any old ship up on the Town Quay and open it up as a dance hall and the place would be packed every open night as Floaters used to be.

Yes, have your Spitfire monument but give the people somewhere to enjoy themselves, that is what is lacking in this city.

LA O'BEE, Lordswood, Southampton.