At last an opportunity to agree with David Blunkett (Blunkett calls for more self-help and less state aid, 4 February). I’d like to pay for my prescriptions, as although over 60, I’m still working and can afford it. When I contacted my MP to suggest this, she replied with a suggestion that I contribute to a local health charity – which rather missed the point!
Fiona Henderson
Norwich
• Are Aditya Chakrabortty (An epidemic of private despair makes this an economic crisis like no other, Opinion, 3 February) and Ian Birrell (Globalisation is good. Ask a carmaker, Opinion, same day) writing about the same country?
Tom Uprichard
London
• Could have been there. Should have been there (Letters, 4 February). My boss got two tickets for Louis Armstrong, Saturday night at the Batley Variety Club, and invited me to the show. Fretting that I may have to call him “Desmond” for the evening instead of “Mr Brady”, I politely declined and have kicked myself ever since.
Kate Layden
Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
• Alexis Petridis (It was a lark, 4 February) says “you don’t see the same profusion of surreal political slogans today” in graffiti. That isn’t true everywhere. I recently enjoyed “Don’t feed our freedom, please” (Venice, with a picture of people walking out of a bird cage); “Today is the shadow of tomorrow” (Paris); and “Morts à jamais, mince est la part de vie que nous vivons” (Brussels).
Paul Hodson
Brussels, Belgium
• Picture of smiling, well-dressed lady, full of charm, aged 88, on page 3 (4 February). Sun – beat that!
Margaret Baker
Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
• Felicity Cloake’s perfect corned beef hash recipe (G2, 5 February), with no mash, no tinned corn beef and no brown sauce. Next she’ll be trying to tell us that Eton mess has got nothing to do with politics.
Phil Topping
Runcorn, Cheshire
