THERE has been a lot said recently in this letters page about Mr Gerald Stoodley’s cessation of contribution.

Most of the comments unfortunately seem to have been of a vindictive and derogatory nature.

I don’t get this as I always found Gerald’s letters to be entertaining and very informative.

From what I could glean he has certainly contributed a lot to charity and championed many worthwhile causes.

He was one of the old school, told it like it was and walked the walk (most literally in his case). OK, so he was controversial at times, but his views were always thought-provoking, whether you agreed with him or not.

I reckon he is a genuine guy, whatever the faceless backstabbers say.

So thanks, Mr Stoodley, for livening up the Advertiser letters page over many years, and for encouraging others to go the extra mile. As for his detractors’ accusation of strangulation of the English language, so what?

Actions always speak louder than words.

Lee Conway, Amport, via e-mail