Jonathan Romney (One-shot wonders, G2, 5 December) mentions the tracking shot which opens Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil. Famously, this took all night: the actor playing the border guard kept fluffing his line as the panoply of actors, director and equipment approached him. But cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (quoted by Romney) is wrong that continuous tracks are more like perceived visual reality. This is actually remarkably discontinuous and probably the reason that human beings so intuitively grasp montage; that is, cuts between views.
Guy Dugdale
London
• How pleasing to read Lucy Eyre on the Jack Aubrey novels of Patrick O’Brian (Jane Austen at sea, 29 November 2014). I discovered them in the early 1990s, and one after the other they accompanied me on overseas jobs, including to The Far Side of the World. Like Austen they can be read again and again, rediscovering forgotten nuggets of delight. I have just finished my third reading of all 20 books.
Sally Miller
Winchester
• A week ago we ate in a Korean restaurant. A group of young people, probably in their early 20s, came in. Soon they were pointing in our direction and sniggering. So, Hilary Devey (My decree – old-age selfies for children, 6 December), what would you recommend for these youths? We are in our 80s.
Anne Lindley
King’s Lynn, Norfolk
• After reading about food bank Britain (Church v state rift over hunger, 8 December), I saw your G2 advert for masterclasses, including one on “Breaking into the food market”. A radical solution, but justifiable in the circumstances.
Austen Lynch
Garstang, Lancashire
• Looking at this year’s Miliband family Christmas card (Report, 6 December) it occurred to me that if Ed were to do something really radical and vow never again to wear a suit, he’d be in with a chance of looking convincing.
Jenny Swann
Beeston, Nottinghamshire
