Sir — What is it about Oxford people and their overwhelming negativity towards anything modern or different or new?

Andrew Pritchard (Letters, August 7) was so quick to express negativity towards almost every aspect of the new railway station that he jumped the gun by several months and commented on all manner of detail, none of which makes sense as not a single pencil mark has been made by an architect yet.

Perhaps he wanted to be the first person to oppose the new station, but he could at least have waited until there was something to talk about.

Given that there will be an international competition to design the new railway station, and given that entries are unlikely to be submitted or considered before well into next next year, it’s a bit rich of him complaining about the location of the escalators or the lack of a booking office.

Why can’t Oxford people wait until there are some real plans to look at and examine before leaping into negative mode?

Mind you, it’s clear from other people’s comments expressed in your paper that, unless the new station has crenellated battlements, a moat and a gleaming spire, you will be overwhelmed with the backward-looking, reactionary forces that are so prevalent in this aspic-pickled city.

Stuart Skyte, Oxford