I GAZED at Caught on Camera last week with regard to the roofs overlooking the civic centre. It's a true indictment of just how it must look to the onlooker.

One must appraise the view from the top deck of a liner docking in Southampton and the overall view of passengers on an aeroplane from Southampton airport who get a view of a sea of containers en route.

In no way, as a tourist, would I be attracted to the Southampton city centre with its blocks of high rise flats, a facade of cultural delights in the high street.

Where are the antique shops, vegetables, meat, pastries and cake shops and tapas bars?

Is it too much to ask, or perhaps the council rates are too high, to attract these individual shops.

Where are the far-sighted planners and councillors or are they dreaming of a road straight through to the boat show once a year and blow the rest of us?

J MOORBY, North Baddesley.