Ghar id-Dud embellishment

I wish to refer to the two recent letters, one by Joe Preca (September 9) and the other by Joe Diacono (September 14) in connection with the embellishment of Ghar-id-Dud, and hasten to clear some points in the two letters.

In his original letter (August 23) Mr Preca had said that since the Preluna was built in 1969, we have never had the fortune "of witnessing any work being done..." while in the second letter Mr Preca himself referred to "what little has been done in this particular area of the promenade".

That "little" at that time when the Sliema Residents' Association had no money at all consisted of "small things" listed in my letter (September 1) and also included installation of decorative globe lights (which are still there), provision of festoon coloured lights all along Ghar id-Dud, provision of decorative containers for the 45 palm trees and the daily washing of the Ghar id-Dud promenade.

By the way, in reply to his remark regarding the palm trees "never to be seen again", I wish to inform him and others who contributed to this that I had made arrangements with the authorities of Wied Incita nursery to keep these palm trees in custody in their nursery gardens till they would be used again the following year. Unfortunately, the following year I had to resign as chairman of the SRA on being elected to the first Sliema local council.

My point in replying to Mr Preca's first comments was to get accurate facts regarding the "we have never... witnessed any work being done... since 1969". He suggested that I should take a walk along Ghar id-Dud... "and check his facts rather than giving the incorrect impression that Ghar id-Dud is up to scratch".

I walk every day along Ghar id-Dud and, believe me, it breaks my heart seeing what I see, especially comparing it to the rest of the promenade. But that does not alter the fact that somebody did try to give our favourite place a new face. I am proud for what I did 12 years ago to my Sliema and also what I am doing now as a councillor.