Re your letter about C, MI6’s head, using green ink (19 June), Sir Mansfield Cumming was an admiral before he became head of the Special Intelligence Service (later MI6). A curator at the Royal Navy Museum told me that early in his career, he had written to his director in green ballpoint. His note was returned with a simple comment: “You are not an admiral.”
Peter Elliott
St Albans
• On the subject of rural minibuses (Letters, 22 June), I wouldn’t have been able to visit Charleston House in East Sussex if it hadn’t been for Cuckmere community art shuttle. Driven by volunteers (thank you, Sue and Mark), it links up with two art galleries that reduce entrance fees for those who arrive by public transport. A brilliant idea that I hope gets picked up by others.
Joy McLaughlan
London
• Re Bob Marshall-Andrews’s letter (24 June), the BBC hasn’t consigned Gaza: Doctors Under Attack to oblivion, it has decided not to show it and returned the rights to the makers. This means it can, and almost certainly will, be shown by a channel whose impartiality isn’t subject to quite so much public scrutiny. Given all the publicity, there’s likely to be quite a queue.
Henry Malt
Bythorn, Cambridgeshire
• Why is every human experience now “a journey” (Letters, 25 June)? I’ve heard of cancer journeys, menopause journeys and, today, people’s “parenting journey”. Ridiculous.
Cherry Weston
Wolverhampton
• I’ve always disliked “free gift”. Is there any other sort?
Steve Lupton
Prestwich, Greater Manchester
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