I READ Mr Charlesworth’s letter about parish meetings (as opposed to parish council meetings) with a smile (The Press, April 17) as I wondered how many parish councillors throughout the land know of the existence of the ‘Legal Topic Note’ relating to the conduct of the annual parish meeting, never mind how many councillors have actually read it.

In fact, the Good Councillors Guide, to which he refers, states that there is no prescribed format for the annual parish meeting.

In my experience and from conversations with councillors in other parts of the country, The Vicar of Dibley provides a far more accurate portrayal of parish council life than any conspiracy theory, power trip or mushroom syndrome attributed to parish councillors.

As Dr Johnson might have said: “I shall waste no time in hunting down a copy of the relevant Legal Topic Note.”

Paul Elmhirst, Stillingfleet, York