From G D Maybey SIR. Further to the letter Flower fury', referring to the pedestrian and traffic mayhem caused at Hampton Court by the yearly garden show (Letters, July 14).

As a local resident I must add fuel to this fire. Since March 2004, the walk options through Hampton Court park have been ruined.

The management agency for historic palaces and gardens has extended admission charges to include the garden at the rear of the palace. The gates are now kept locked, resulting in large areas of Hampton Court park being no-go, cul-de-sacs.

All of the main footpaths that radiate from the palace garden are obstructed. Local people who have walked through the palace garden, via Hampton Wick and Bushy Park, for more than 100 years, are now confronted with locked gates or at Hampton Court Palace, a £4 admission charge.

It would appear management have no respect or regard for local people. Unless we protest at this creeping greed of privatisation, we will surely lose free access to the royal parks and gardens.

What next? Are we going to have to pay to enter the woodland gardens at Bushy Park, or a be confronted with a toll for walking the towpath between Hampton Court and Kingston?

G D MAYBEY Sunningdale Avenue Hanworth From B Johnson SIR. What an old misery your Flower fury' correspondent is (Letters, July 14).

The Hampton Court Flower Show is for only one week and gives pleasure to thousands.

I lived near Twickenham Rugby Football Union for years. Has he ever seen the crowds on rugby days?

For the week of the flower show I suggest he either books a holiday or gets his bike out!

B JOHNSON New Malden