We were interested in your article about the floods ('Anger over media floods coverage', February 5).

We agree that the media continues to over-react to a situation that regularly happens and cannot be changed.

My husband and I spent our honeymoon in York in 1967 and have visited your lovely city regularly.

We are fortunate to have very good friends in Claxton and shall be visiting them next month.

We will call in to the King's Arms as we always do for lunch, but if the Ouse is too high it is not the end of the world. You have some lovely hostelries and eating houses around the good shopping area.

We live in Torbay and at spring tide the seafront is often is closed because seawater pours over the wall. Like you, the next day's news shows pictures which resemble the North Sea on a bad day. These are only acts of God so why can't we just enjoy our lives and have some positive news reported?

If the River Ouse were to flood on a permanent basis, yes we would miss the pub and our walks along the river, but it would not stop us visiting the city - the area has so much to offer.

Roger and Dianne Bowden,

Barton Gardens,

Paignton, Devon.

Updated: 10:46 Thursday, February 19, 2004