I FIND it difficult to empathise with the views that Greg Tanner expressed recently in the Gazette (Coach House has been great for our club, Letters, March 24)

My greatest difficulty is trying to understand Greg's stated surprise that there isn't greater appreciation and awareness in Eastcote of how the Coach House has provided a home for Eastcote Billiards Club for 80 years. With windows boarded up and absolutely no sign of life or occupancy, I would imagine that the majority of residents were surprised to hear that this building has been occupied for the past 80 years!

I am firmly of the belief that this building should be the jewel in the crown of Old Eastcote, a facility that we all could share and have access to (including the billiards club), not the exclusive domain of a secretive club that appears to have made little effort to integrate with the wider local community and, judging by the outside appearance of this building, has undertaken the absolute minimum of external maintenance over the years and also seems to resent the fact that others should wish to share this historic building.

The thoughts and ideas recently put forward and proposed for the Coach House by the Friends of Eastcote House (FOEH) are, in my opinion, visionary and enlightened.

If anyone has any doubts, I suggest they cast their eye over the walled garden and surrounding area.

Lest there be any doubt, FOEH, in collaboration with Hillingdon Council, is responsible for the wonderful and continuing transformation that is currently taking place for the benefit of all in Eastcote.

Compare this with the current state and vista of the Coach House building that the billiards club is so proudly taking sole responsibility for!

Incidentally, now that I know there is a billiards club in Eastcote, I and 40 or so of my friends would like to know how to join but, to date, this has proved difficult.

S LIBERTY

The Chase Eastcote

* Editor's note: Correspondence on this matter is now closed.