AJ MILTON, of Coulsdon, South London, writes: We love walking while on holiday in the South Hams, and have some especially favourite walks and views that we love to share with friends and relatives. The wild flowers this year have been magnificent and we have taken lots of photos which turned out to be just as well. Recently, we planned a special treat for friends to see an exceptional bank of purslane, red campion and buttercups on a walk through Bigbury. Unfortunately, some vandal had decided to decimate the flowers and grasses clearing the path from some charity runners, so we were met by a scene of total devastation. How large were these runners, we wondered, who needed such a vast area cleared to facilitate their progress? Alas, no photographs were taken. Why is it that the interests of the few are always considered more important than the pleasure of the many in this country? We continued our walk up the hill to see a favourite view looking up the Avon valley towards Aveton Gifford, usually a real treat whatever the state of the tide or the weather. Something did not look right and then we realised that there were regular sickly green patches, obviously man-made, on the right bank of the river where there used to be a water meadow sprinkled with buttercups. What had been a pastoral delight, had become an eyesore. What moron thought this would be an improvement on nature? To add to our disappointment, it was noticeable that everywhere looked rundown and uncared for compared with recent visits. There were potholes everywhere, road signs were shabby, bent and often leaning dangerously over the lanes, rubbish along the hedges seemed to be everywhere. Not a happy holiday.