Deplorable state of Fort St Angelo

I was saddened to see the two-page spread featuring Fort St Angelo's deplorable state written by Dr Beryl Palmier (The Sunday Times, January 4). I have often written about the plight of this fort but my and other people's letters have hardly made any impact on whoever is responsible for our heritage.

The photos accompanying the text show only a small selection of the desolation. For example, there is no mention of the swimming pool which was excavated out of the bastion right at the foot of the cavalier in the late Seventies as part of the harebrained idea to turn this historic fort into a tourist complex.

To dig this pool, part of the bastion was deliberately demolished to facilitate the removal of the debris to waiting trucks below. After the breech had served its purpose, the gap was refilled in a shoddy manner To rub salt in the wound, a wall of concrete blocks was constructed to provide privacy to the people using the pool (see accompanying picture)

Another part of the fort not featured in Dr Palmier's article is the bastion next to the main gate, a large section of which collapsed one stormy day and which was repaired using globigerina limestone instead of the original stone. Furthermore, five apertures were included in the façade where originally there were none (see picture).

In conclusion, while thanking Dr Palmier for her interest in our heritage, I would like to point out an inaccuracy in her article. The five-gun platform on the cavalier was used as a saluting battery and not as stated in the caption. I remember the guns still in place when the fort was administered by the British. I appeal to the authorities to leave no stone unturned (pun intended) to address this issue before it is too late.