You report that 40 museums in England have closed in the period between 2005 and 2014 (Survival of museums on cliff edge with councils forced to cut ‘luxury’ services, 8 May). In fact, the figures are far worse. The Mapping Museums research team have systematically collected data on UK museums and we found 173 closures during that period, with a total of 227 since 2005. The highest closure rates are in the north-west and south-west regions, the lowest in the south-east.
Fiona Candlin
Professor of museology, Birkbeck, University of London
• Re national social trends (Britons having less sex, study finds – and internet could be to blame, 8 May), it’s hardly surprising that Britons are having less sex, if they spend as much time body-building as the man in the accompanying photo obviously does.
Maggie Jones
Blackheath, London
• At the cremation of my friend Illtyd Harrington (former deputy leader of the GLC) I was not surprised, knowing his wry wit, that he chose for his final departure a rousing rendition of Holzmann’s march Blaze Away (Letters, 9 May).
Bill Beuden
Poole, Dorset
• Black squirrels have been living in and around Letchworth Garden City for decades, and we often see them in our garden (Letters, 8 May).
Jacqueline Angell
Letchworth Garden City
• At last, a royal with the name of one of the Beatles (‘We’re just thrilled with our little bundle of joy’: meet Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, 9 May).
Richard Wood
Toddington, Bedfordshire
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