Last Friday, the mayor of Brighton and Hove gave a party to celebrate city status and thank those involved with the Place To Be.

This was a party for the many and not the few. It was like the tower of Babel.

From pensioners to toddlers, millionaires to manual workers, there were more than 600 people. They had all worked together for the good of Brighton and Hove on myriad projects in the community during the year of the campaign.

As one newcomer to the city put it, he hadn't known what to expect but was overwhelmed by the enormous effort people had put in, how much they felt they had achieved and got out of it and at the sheer pride that filled the room.

Perhaps if he had been there, Peter Poole (Opinion, March 26) would be less likely to dismiss these people's efforts as "hype" and "deception".

There are real benefits from people working together as they did on the Place to Be for the good of Brighton and Hove.

But it seems Brighton (And Still Hove!) Against City Status (BASH!) can't resist living up to its acronym and endlessly knocking other people's efforts to improve their city. Why not get involved positively for a change?

-Simon Fanshawe, Former chairman of the Place To Be, Brighton