You state that John Berger (Obituary, 4 January) was born in Stoke Newington in 1926 and that it was only in the army that he had his first real encounter with working-class people. My family settled in Stoke Newington in 1936 and I was brought up there. It was an upper-working-class district. If Berger encountered no working-class people he must never have ventured into the street, the swimming baths, to the park or around the shops and pubs. I knew of no private schools or expensive restaurants, but he could have popped into Lyons tea shop in the high street for a cuppa in company with actual working-class people.
Marlene McAndrew
London
• In recent days I have read three separate reports in your newspaper relating to Cornwall – outstanding service given by Tesco in Penzance (Consumer champions, 31 December), the welcome given to Syrian refugees in Bude (Report, 2 January) and the hospitality given in Camborne to black GIs (Letters, 5 January). Coincidence? I think not.
Simon Bennett
Truro, Cornwall
• Adam Morgan (There is a price to pay for hate speech, 5 January) has clearly forgotten the old adage that yesterday’s terrorist is tomorrow’s statesman.
Alan Whitehouse
Thornton le Dale, North Yorkshire
• Keith Flett (Letters, 4 January) suggests more space for debate. But like social media, the Guardian is an echo chamber. Perhaps you could challenge the Mail to a joint letters page once a week as therapy?
Phil Wells
Hadleigh, Suffolk
• As a toddler, “a weetabic” was our son’s daily breakfast request (Letters, 30 December).
Mair Banks
Bristol
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