BRIAN Hunt asked if I, the girl called Joy mentioned in his letter regarding the Northwick Slip, would like to comment. Yes, of course I would.

Fancy letting the cat out of the bag 45 years on, "Butch". Didn't you realise my parents thought I was studying the flora and fauna of Bevere for my exams, when all the time I was having a great time with my friends and the motorbike gang down at the Slip.

My mother's letter was written in response to two Evening News articles, one on the dangers of swimming in rivers and the other on transforming the Slip back to a lido.

She felt, and I agree, that a lido and swimming in the river would hold no attraction to today's families, but it could provide a popular meeting place for groups of young people as it did in our day. As you said, Brian, we didn't drink or take drugs, but nowadays some teenagers do both to excess.

You mistakenly thought my mother was implying that the motorbike gang vandalised the toilets and lifebelts, but she did say these were erected, later, when we had moved on. She met you and some of the others and found you decent young lads.

However, you weren't quite my parents' "cup of tea" as you put it, because living in the Northwick Slip area with a garden backing on to the riverside fields, their peace and quiet was well and truly shattered during summer evenings and weekends by noisy cars and up to 30 motorbikes.

However, the area has changed now. It is residential and a new lido would almost certainly bring complaints from today's residents.

John Hinton's letter assured us that the Slip was to be left to its wildlife and riverside walkers, which just leaves us to recall the good times we innocently enjoyed all those years ago.

JOY FULCHER (NEE LUNN), Hallow, Worcester.