Personally, I enjoyed the experience of watching the buskers make handmade items at City Gate, Valletta, while I was visiting the island on business this year.

It is something that you see in all the capital cities of European countries, and it certainly didn’t resemble a third world village. I perceived it to be a group of talented individuals who, rather than claim benefits from the government, sold their wares.

I bought several items as gifts from there, and because they were specially made for me, the appreciation when I gave them to my family was 10 times more than if I had grabbed a mass-produced souvenir from a shelf.

I was also pleasantly surprised to be issued with an official receipt when I bought these goods.

As well as a stall making and selling beautiful jewellery, I couldn’t help but notice that a couple of junk jewellery tables were loaded with items so obviously not hand made and probably came straight from China. If a clean up of the buskers at the City Gate needs to be done, it should be those sort of people who are removed, but leave the true artisans in peace.

David Molyneaux

Ardeche, France