The Duke of Gloucester is probably a nice person but what is his relevance to Bude? There are any number of local residents in the town who would be a more appropriate choice to open the newly refurbished Bude Canal.

The Bude Citizen of the Year for example, or the National Postman of the Year Neil Cheeseborough for his voluntary work with the coastguards.

It would have been a positive reflection on our elected representatives if they could have chosen a person who had a record of voluntary work within the North Cornwall region instead of a minor royal who owes his position in society to an accident of birth.

Bude.