I MUST say I was extremely surprised by the comments made by Councillor Peter Johnson in the Bolton Evening News of April 10 -- "Memorial services for dead Royals".

How insensitive can he be! As a local politician, he should be setting an example, by encouraging people to attend and himself attending the memorial service, no matter what his personal affiliations are to the monarchy. It is certainly no excuse that he did not have time to attend. He should have made time to attend instead of allowing himself to be swayed by his personal resentments towards the monarchy. It now makes me wonder that, if he harbours this kind of personal resentment, how effective can he be in his loyalty to the town as a councillor?

At the time of her birth the Queen Mother did not choose to be a Royal. She did not choose to have a lifetime of luxury. She did not choose that others should draw the curtains for her, nor did she choose that she should have the best medical care on tap. All these things came to her.

But she did not wallow in these luxuries. She took stock of her responsibility as a Royal to bestow upon the world such qualities as humbleness, love, compassion and harmony. She reached out to ordinary people -- you and me. Above all, she displayed the quality of a mother. These were the things dear to all which we were celebrating at her memorial service -- not how wealthy she was.

Councillors are a beacon for the town's prestige. They ought to be setting good examples for people to follow. In times like the Queen Mother's death, they should have had, for once, the forbearance to lay aside their personal grievances and be humble in giving respect, just as they would have expected from others.

Uttambhai D Mistry

Westland Avenue

Heaton

Bolton