Letter - Hope for our youths

I live in the centre of Shrewsbury, am retired and enjoy recreational cycling; mostly at weekends.

Last weekend I was cyc ling with a friend up a woodland track on Haughmond Hill and acquired a puncture in my rear tyre. I pushed my bike the rest of the way up the hill and arrived at the Pine Tops cafe for a welcome mug of tea and to work out how best to get my bike and me back home.

Outside the cafe there was a group of six teenage boys whom I later discovered were from Ditherington. They had ridden up the hill on their mountain bikes. They were wearing hooded tops, jeans or tracksuit bottoms and trainers.

Seeing my predicament, one of the lads came up to me and asked if I needed help and would I like him and his friends to repair the puncture. I have to admit to having some reservations at the time but I was very grateful and gladly accepted their offer.

Within 15 minutes the boys had removed the wheel, mended the puncture and re-assembled the bike.

Throughout the process they were boisterous, full of banter and extremely well-mannered towards me and my friend.

On completion of the repair I offered them a small amount of money that they refused to accept.

Nonetheless, and after I had explained that they had saved me the hassle and cost of getting me and my bike back to Shrewsbury, not to mention the additional cost of the puncture repair, they reluctantly accepted a small sum.

Bearing in mind the poor publicity our younger generation often receive these days from press and public alike and our tendency to stereotype too readily, I found it most reassuring to meet such a well-mannered and genuinely helpful bunch of lads. The staff in the cafe and a number of the customers also expressed the same opinion.

I hope that this letter might reassure some of your readers that there are some good young lads around.

Will Brewin, Shrewsbury