The Romsey Advertiser is no longer available for reading at Romsey Library. 

The reason given is written by Hampshire County Council is as follows –“To reduce expenditure in 2020 Romsey Library used gift cards to purchase the Advertiser but to be compliant with regulations and financial audit as required the use of gift cards does not provide a clear audit trail so now the paper can no longer be supplied in 2024.”

That Double Dutch bureaucratic speel means absolutely nothing to me as I try to understand why the council library service will not spend £1.20 on a valued paper once a week when it is content that its officers can spend £3.50 a day on Costa coffee expenses. And anyway I do not pay my rates in gift cards, I pay cash. So spend the cash.

The vulnerable and isolated pensioners of Romsey struggling with the cost of living crisis and energy bills and foodbanks value being able to keep in touch and feel part of the Romsey community by reading in the warmth of the library their beloved Advertiser.

Restore the paper now. Actually newspaper makes a good cleaning cloth and the Advertiser could be sustainable recycled by putting it to use on the library windows.

David Rutter,
Windfield Drive, 
Romsey

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