NOW that 2012 has come to a close perhaps we can also bring a closure to the Olympic Games.

Phenomenal though they were, plus the fantastic achievements of our athletes, I think they have all had their just rewards. The winning athletes’ egos and bank balances have been swollen, but no matter how many medals (plus Queen’s honours) they have in their trophy cabinets “the feelgood” factor for the rest of us has evaporated and reality has kicked in. Families in poverty are relying on food banks for survival, more homeless, OAPs struggling to keep warm and much more. Perhaps when the next Queen’s Honours list is published the people who make a real difference to our lives, surgeons, doctors, nurses, paramedics, firemen, the police, our armed forces and all those unsung heroes will be recognised.

R John Smith Greenwood Avenue Cwmbran