Your editorial (12 December) extols the virtues of the ash tree, sadly under threat from an unintentionally imported fungus. The ash is an important native species for another reason: it is one of our few, fast-growing hardwoods. As a timber, it is famously stable and able to take twisting and bending forces well. It turns well on the lathe and can be polished to a soft sheen. For so many reasons, we are going to miss this lovely tree.
Bob Caldwell
Badby, Northamptonshire
• As a man of 82 looking back at my all-boys’ school education in the 1950s, I am in no doubt that cookery lessons, even Maggie Owen’s (Letters, 12 December), would have served most of us better in life than the Latin lessons we received.
George Redman
New Eltham, London
• Dennis Hawkins felt he had never had a pre-existing illness (Letters, 10 December). I’m always annoyed when asked about having a “heart condition”. Of course I’ve had a heart condition. For most of my life it’s been in very good condition, though less so since passing 70.
Peter Perkins
Diss, Norfolk
• Regarding encouraging guests to leave at the end of a long evening (Your niece is suddenly vegan! How to survive the 12 disasters of Christmas, 14 December), my husband finds that appearing in the doorway in his pyjamas usually does the trick.
Alex Percy
Winchester
• Re responding to a vegan niece at Xmas, as well as finding something for her to eat, how about thanking her for taking action against climate change?
Pam Laurance
London
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.
