SIR Regarding the letter from Douglas Hartley (T&A, September 27), who thinks the canal restoration is worthy only of sneering remarks, I moved out of Bradford because of that sort of attitude.

I used to live in Bradford 2 and would probably have stayed on had I known the canal project would even possibly go ahead.

Indeed I wrote to the T&A pointing out Bradford had somehow missed the boat in that most communities had done this as a Millennium fund project.

I daresay Mr Hartley regards canals as hopelessly old fashioned. Well, as a transport system I agree. But this was recognised years ago, even by the volunteers who restored them.

But times change - and so do people's needs. I regularly use canals both as a cyclist and walker and neither I or the other users need a commercial canal.

However its presence is enhanced by the presence of boats, fishermen and wildlife, all of which need that wet stuff in the middle rather than a dried-up ditch.

Huddersfield, Keighley and Leeds are all enhanced by being on the canal network and I for one am looking forward to Bradford, too, having this amenity.

Martin Spicer, Bath Place, Halifax