It was with great interest that I read about the recovery of a copy of the Divan of Hafez (Report, 11 March). My great-grandfather, Lt Col Henry Wilberforce Clarke, a scholar in Persian, wrote an English translation of the Divan while stationed in India, this being the first in any language. It was published in Calcutta in 1891.
Rosina Kirkwood
Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
• As a boy I remember being told that defacing the head of the Queen on a banknote was a treasonable offence. As your front-page graphic (Report, 12 March) only obscures half her face you’ll probably get off with a fine.
John Huntley
Manchester
• In all the tributes to Max von Sydow (Report, 10 March) I have seen no mention of his role in the ridiculous, but somehow delightful, Escape to Victory. He co-starred along with such greats as Pelé, Bobby Moore, Ossie Ardiles and most of Ipswich Town FC. Why does this not even get a mention?
David Upton
Middlesbrough
• I am now 88 and cannot stand marmalade (Letters, 13 March). May I nevertheless commend all your marmalade corespondents who, without exception, have refrained from the temptation to describe their homemade products as “handcrafted”.
Colin Shone
Penmynydd, Anglesey
• Fred Trueman used to say there are two definitions of a gentleman (Letters, 13 March). The first is someone who gets out of the bath to go to the toilet. The second is unrepeatable.
Jim Vickers
Redcar, Cleveland
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