Edward Lord states that I was wrong to say that gay men and lesbians could be arrested for kissing in public in 1990 (Letters, 27 July). It is sad to see somebody connected with Pride attempting to diminish the very real persecution that my community faced. In fact, as Peter Tatchell has written, gay men and lesbians “continued to be prosecuted, right up until the early 1990s, under public order and breach of the peace laws, for public displays of affection, such as kissing and cuddling. Such prosecutions ended only when the LGBT direct action group, OutRage!, highlighted and protested against them.”
Philip Hensher
Geneva, Switzerland
• I note that the day after Patricia Greene revealed that she was paid only £16,000 a year for her role in The Archers, her character, Jill Archer, was arrested for assault and given a caution. Clearly the BBC is not giving in easily.
Keith Flett
London
• I shall miss William Fotheringham’s erudite, interesting and entertaining reports on the Tour de France (Time to bid au revoir after 26 years at the greatest race, 25 July). He is authoritative, lucid, gently instructive and impartial. I hope he does keep writing about the Tour for the Guardian, even if not on a blow-by-blow basis.
Kirsty Devaney
Dundee
• Re Catherine Morland’s beginning “to long for balls” in Northanger Abbey (Letters, 27 July), I’d always assumed that here was an early coded plea for gender reassignment. Great Expectations meeting He Knew He Was Right.
Chris Taylor
Church Stretton, Shropshire
• Looking at an atlas, despite its westerly situation, Cornwall has as much if not more coastline facing true east as it does true west (Letters, 27 July).
Neville Goodman
Bristol
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