I lived in Malta for four years, returning at Dom Mintoff’s warning, when he said UK residents took the jobs from Maltese girls. I returned to the UK in January 1971 to endure the terrible cold of a UK winter.

I have now returned for a holiday to Malta. The first thing I do is visit Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar for their wonderful coffee, beauty, calm and bougainvillaea! A reminder of a more gracious past.

On my recent visit, I walked round the villages and sites where I had lived, mostly Sliema. How it’s changed. It was then so peaceful and elegant. We shopped off donkey carts/vans, bought lovely fresh produce, got to know the Maltese and their gentle kind ways. My maids taught me how to cook Maltese style, so delicious!

I was intrigued by the new bus system and miss the old one. It seems it has yet to settle. I visited a friend in Mellieħa; the round journey took me over three and a half hours including waiting for the buses. I promised to return but the journey was too much. I tried to get to Rabat to see another chum but could not find a bus. I was told one ticket price is charged for visitors, another for the Maltese... €2.60 for a 10-minute ride from Salina Bay to Buġibba. The cosy, old system did seem to work better.

Although the Maltese are just as dear and gentle as ever I noted the same rules apply here as in London when it comes to giving up priority bus seats to the disabled or elderly. It does not happen. I watched two young Maltese boys, around 18, glued purposely to their seats, clearly unwilling to give them up to fragile others as we bumped along.

Why is so much building going on? I hear that 55,000 flats remain empty. Will they remain empty? And how can Malta cope with more cars, crowds?

I saw the seaweed, mounds of it, and was reminded of when I had a flat in Brighton, with a large garden and eroded starved soil. We got masses of bags of seaweed from the front and mulched it all into the earth. It worked wonders. I could grow anything then. I wonder if that could be an industry for Malta. Sell it at €1 a bag? Also, turned into kelp; it’s a great healer.

Finally, I was happy staying at my quiet, peaceful civilised hotel, with no music. Then, one morning music in the dining room started creeping in. We complained. It was sad indeed to lose the luxury and peace and quiet, so badly needed to day.

So, goodbye beautiful Malta, see you next year.