How sad to hear of Geoffrey Hayes’ death (Rainbow presenter Geoffrey Hayes dies, 2 October), and how melancholy his subsequent career. I directed him as the wonderfully funny country bumpkin Bob Acres in The Rivals for the legendary “Blue Box” Century Theatre, and remember him as the gloriously dim Nipple in Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs. A very gifted comedy actor, and not the only one to have his career shortened by TV fame. Roy North is perhaps another one who springs to mind. But Geoffrey was a lovely guy who should have gone further.
Peter Kenvyn Jones
Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• No other children’s television series did more to gently advance gender and disability equality in the 1970s than Rainbow with its gender-questioning and disabled hippopotamus, George. As the show’s frontman, Geoffrey Hayes will be sorely missed by many.
Dr Bertie Dockerill
Shildon, County Durham
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