"Welcome to Halstead!" A message which is written on the sign boards as you enter Halstead and a message I extend to the unfortunate lady who lives in Head Street, Halstead and experienced what the Gazette called “a history of dangerous driving, near misses and crashes”.

My dear fellow resident of just one year, get used to it, it isn’t going to change!

This is how it works in Halstead, someone will get hurt or worse before action is taken.

The Braintree Local Highway Panel who are “very aware of the situation” will then propose the following:

"Block off Head Street to all traffic, divert traffic which is heading to Sudbury via Braintree where more money can be spent in proving infrastructure around Braintree due to the increase in traffic trying to get through Halstead to Sudbury, this will make sense to those who propose it as history tells us that no money is spent improving roads around in or around Halstead.

"Those residents that live north of Head Street (soon to be far more than now) can travel freely to Sudbury and if they wish to get to Braintree and beyond, well who cares? We are only interested in Braintree."

Confused? Perhaps. Angry? No, just a resigned to what has happened over the past 40 years and that nothing has or will be done over the next 40.

This letter will be repeated in 20 years.

Andy Bird

Halstead