The annual Hay festival makes much of its “Welshness”, but wandering round this year’s event last weekend I was struck by the fact that Tata seems to be one of the festival’s main sponsors. Would this be the same Tata that has threatened to pull the plug on its Welsh steel operations, a move that would have devastating consequences on communities in south Wales?
Julian Jones
Abergavenny
• At last, an intelligent, enlightening and amiable debate about the referendum – between David and Adam in the Bull in Ambridge on Sunday night. Is it too much to hope that, in the last two weeks of the campaign, our politicians might learn from The Archers and present their arguments in a more factual, rational and civilised manner than has so far been the case?
Bridget Shield
London
• Molly Berry (Letters, 8 June) is our superb lipreading tutor and deserves recognition as a tireless campaigner for deaf people. Buckinghamshire adult education department have described the classes as “vocational” rather than an essential skill, and from September each term will cost almost £90, thereby excluding many who would benefit.
Jean Jackson
Seer Green, Buckinghamshire
• Christian Wolmar’s praise of Zurich’s tram system is deserved (In praise of the tram, theguardian.com, 6 June), but tram-friendly Vienna has a lower modal share of car transport, probably because its annual travel ticket costs €364 while in Zurich it’s €2,000.
Dr John Doherty
Vienna, Austria
• Thank you for your advice on how best to store partially drunk bottles of wine (G2, 7 June). I’d also appreciate some tips on how to achieve the level of restraint required to put it into practice.
John Cranston
Norwich
• Although very sad, what is this about the life of Muhammad Ali (Editorial, 6 June)? He was no George Foreman. Inventing a grill to cook fishcakes in, now that is a contribution to life.
Andrew Vickers
Cuddington, Buckinghamshire
• I have consulted several friends from the Hull diaspora and none of them know what “bool one’s tansad” (Letters, 6 June) means – and to use “one’s”, what sort of posh rubbish is that?
Glen Gibb
Spott, East Lothian
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
