When we were buying a house in central Farnham in early 2002 to settle here, we met the town crier wandering the town one Saturday morning and told him of our impending move.

He was pleased to promote the attractions of the town to us and added, as if producing his trump card, that “we will soon have a cinema here”. This would be part of a new development in the town that was due to start soon.

Very good, we thought, a bonus reason to live in Farnham! More than 20 years later we are still waiting.

Is this the greatest no-show in town? It must be a record for sluggishness, even taking into account the years of wrangling amongst the townsfolk and their local councils.

It took 11 years to build the M25 London Orbital Motorway, 117 miles of roads, bridges and junctions. Allowing for about five years of public enquiries before construction started in 1975, the M25, which was completed in 1986, still took less time to build than Farnham’s Brightwells.

Maybe the desolate Woolmead over the road will outdo it. Not much to be proud of.

Hugh Leggatt

Kingham Place, Farnham