Sir,
I am writing with reference to the letter in last week's Observer headed 'Do God and hot dogs go together?' It concerns me when people want to criticise others, and try to pull them down. Referring to the siting of the hot dog vendor's stand, Anne-Ruth Alton asked in her letter 'have the church authorities and/or Tenby Town Council sanctioned this positioning?' If she is so troubled by this, why does she not write directly to them instead of penning the question in an open letter to the press?
In my humble opinion, I reckon if this young lad has had the intelligence to spot a business opportunity, set up his own business, invest considerable money on his stand, and have the 'bottle' to go for it, then surely he has gone through all the correct channels to obtain the necessary licences and permits. He obviously considers his positioning outside St. Mary's Church is going to be best for his trade, so who can blame him?
Furthermore, I reckon that God would be proud of this lad's vision in creating an opportunity to earn himself a decent living off his own back instead of going down the wrong route that many of today's youth can embark on.
With reference to the mouth-watering smell of hot dogs, are we to believe that the smell actually penetrates the walls of the church and causes worshippers to suffer pangs of hunger, thereby leaving church early to ease their hunger pains? In fact, I would guess that if this vendor does work on a Sunday, I would assume that, being young, he is out on a Saturday night, or even working his business, and therefore not up early enough to 'upset' the Sunday morning worshippers. I would guess that they are long gone by the time he arrives. So, the questions are: What is Anne Ruth Alton's problem? Is she the spokesperson for all the St. Mary's congregation? If so, has she conducted a survey?
I know I'm stating the obvious, but St. Mary's Church is in the centre of a very busy tourist town, surrounded by pubs, restaurants, shops, people, cars, etc., with all the associated smells, and always has been, so Anne-Ruth Alton really needs to keep her negative opinions to herself before she picks on someone who is doing nothing that is out of keeping with the surroundings that St. Mary's Church finds itself in. God and hot dogs certainly do not go together, but they can certainly live in harmony. I think, aesthetically, that this vendor enhances the atmosphere of Tenby in the summer.
Good luck to you, and I'll have tomato sauce on mine!
Steve Briers, Kilgetty.