IT was with a mixture of happiness and sadness that I read that mayor Frank Silver has now stepped down after his year as mayor of Great Dunmow. I am happy, because he has been honoured with an award; sad because I feel the town is losing one of its great

IT was with a mixture of happiness and sadness that I read that mayor Frank Silver has now stepped down after his year as mayor of Great Dunmow.

I am happy, because he has been honoured with an award; sad because I feel the town is losing one of its greatest assets.

Without coming over as too sycophantic, I wanted to write to say what an excellent job I think he has done during his year in office. There can be few out there who can actually know of, or appreciate, the personal sacrifices he made in order to promote this town.

Although he had both personal and family matters upon his shoulders which would have reduced many to a nervous wreck, he always made himself available to those who called on him and I never once saw him down-hearted.

Sometimes he has been let down by others, but he has never (to my knowledge) let the town down. The award he was presented with was well deserved.

Name and address withheld.