During a school visit to Paris in 1949, I acquired my love of real French onion soup at midnight in a cafe in Les Halles (Homage to Napoleonic original that met its Waterloo, 7 April). Ten years later I wandered at midnight in the London equivalent – Covent Garden fruit and vegetable market. Ten years after that, the shock wave from the wanton destruction of Les Halles was a major factor in saving Covent Garden. From a selfish London point of view, perhaps it was worth it.
Mike Broadbent
Luton
• Somehow it seems appropriate that the archbishop of Canterbury should discover, later in his life, that the man he grew up thinking was his father, in fact was not (Welby’s shock over paternity test revelation, 9 April). After all, something very similar must have happened to the founder of his religion.
Clive Collins
Martlesham Heath, Suffolk
• It is general knowledge – though not proven – in this area that Robert Stephenson was Baden-Powell’s biological father. I wonder if that could now be proved?
Glenys Goodwill
New Brancepeth, County Durham
• As a young woman in the late 40s, I was in a bus queue when I became aware of fingers caressing my thigh (Letters, 9 April). I stepped back firmly and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath as my heel connected with the foot of the man standing behind me. Of course, I then turned, stared him in the face, and said “sorry”, because one had to be polite.
Hilda Hayden
Newland, Worcestershire
• My mother, in the days when smoking was allowed on the underground, simply put out her cigarette on any groping hand.
Sara Neill
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
• I could buy a white T-shirt with a Lidl logo on the front for £50 (Bright sparks, Weekend, 9 April) or go to Lidl and buy a white T-shirt without their logo for £2.49. Decisions, decisions.
Toby Wood
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
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