Sir, Congratulations to Waitrose supermarket for being so generous with their limited space in providing an area for not only collection boxes for the collection of local Christmas cards, delivered by the local Scouts for only 20p, but also an area to collect food for the local food bank.

However, I was disappointed to see that at almost 4pm, there was very little in the box.

I was fortunate, Ernie (Premium Bonds) came up this month, so I spent it on tin goods — a Christmas pudding, plus, of course, custard, for people who are less fortunate than myself on the basis of “There but for the grace of God, it may have been myself who needed a helping hand”.

I couldn’t help but notice that in the queue to pay there were many people who might not be aware of the food bank, that they, like myself, with money in the bank, a warm house, food in the fridge, the freezer, tins of food in the cupboard, who would quite happily be prepared to add another £10, £20 or even £30 to their bill to add some tinned goods, steak-and-ale pie, tins of fruit, a tin of biscuits and even a box of chocolates to make life a bit easier for some local person, young or old, or a family that has fallen on bad times.

I am not writing this letter to show what I have done, but merely to make the good, generous people of Abingdon aware of where they can shop this festive season and give a helping hand at this time of the year.

So, I appeal to all of you, add a little something to give to those who have so little. This is what the spirit of Christmas is all about.

Brian Eastoe

Sutton Wick Lane

Drayton