I am not intrinsically against anyone making shedloads of money (Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, added £10bn to his fortune in just one day, 21 July). I wonder, however, how many of Amazon’s employees in the UK are on wages that do not allow them to live decent lives without recourse to public funds. I believe in paying tax to enable governments to deliver as fair as possible chances for all. If I am also subsidising Jeff Bezos then I’m not happy at all.
Margaret Prosser
House of Lords
• Many of the items that you mock in your pass notes on 1970s food (Smash hits: why 1970s foods are back – from corned beef to packet trifle, 21 July) are similar to those requested by food banks. Tinned meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, puddings and instant mashed potato are among them, because fresh food can’t be stored. Could it be that the rise in sales of these foods during lockdown is related to the rise in food bank use (Record numbers used UK food banks in first month of lockdown, 3 June)?
Christine Cockshott
Broughton-in-Furness, Cumbria
• Bach, Beethoven and Brahms all have their merits (Letters, 21 July), but 1960s graffiti clearly stated that “[Eric] Clapton is God” and that Peter Green is “better than God”.
Mark Sweet
Dorchester, Dorset
• In 1964 or 1965, the Broad Street frontage of Trinity College, Oxford, was concealed by a length of grey hoarding. On it someone wrote in large red letters: “Bach is God”. This self-evident truth remained unchallenged by any other slogan writer for a respectful length of time.
Angus Doulton
Bere Ferrers, Devon
• Papers that have paywalls possibly prefer to prevent progressives from perusing their prejudices (Letters, 20 July).
John Kirkwood
Sheffield
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