Further to your article in the Harlow Guardian (December16) in which Graeme Doshi-Smith urges us to discover and get to know Epping Forest, he failed to mention that it is not now a place of leisure owing to the mean-spirited nature of the committee of the City of London Corporation.

We now have to pre-empt our length of stay and pre-pay for that time, and heaven forbid if we decide to stay a bit longer than planned, ie enjoying our visit and wanting to enjoy a cup of Bradleys fine tea and snacks or even wanting to discover more of the forest, you’re likely to be fined for overstaying your visit!

So perhaps he should have suggested we bring an alarm clock in case we fail to clock out at the correct time!

Keith Mash

Harlow