I was delighted that Ian Jack made a visit to Rudyard Kipling’s home, Bateman’s, in light of Boris Johnson’s recent “gaffe” reciting a Kipling poem in Myanmar (Opinion, 7 October). I have worked at this beautiful house nestled in Sussex; the many Indian visitors to it have huge respect for the writer, and children in India still read his poems and stories at school. We learn and enjoy words from writers of the past whether we agree with their politics or not.
Philipa Coughlan
Beeston, Nottinghamshire
• So Rafael Behr is now writing as Contributor Namy (Opinion [printed version], 11 October).
Letter Writery
(Toby Wood), Peterborough
• Worried about the dangers of overwork, David Hardman of the London Hazards Centre says “we in Britain need to take a long, hard look at ourselves” (Letters, 10 October). Wouldn’t a brief, relaxed, sideways glance at ourselves be the healthier option?
Mike Hine
Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
• Readers who hark back fondly to the days when people changed their underthings once a week and Friday night – and only Friday night – was bath night (Letters, 11 October) have forgotten what it was like to travel on public transport. No cause for nostalgia.
Kirsten Cubitt Thorley
Sheffield
• Even friendlier than those described by your correspondent (Letters, 11 October) were the “double seater” toilets like the one in my grandma’s back yard. My sister and I spent hours in there side by side, piecing together articles from Titbits that had been torn up and hung up by string for toilet paper. It was part of our education!
Jane Jones
Chester
• If you gave lambs a choice, sentient as they are (Letters, 7 October), between living for a short while and not living at all, what would they say?
Tim Johnson
London
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