It is to be hoped that John Rothenstein’s diary (Report, 26 March) will also tell how he persistently refused the gift to the Tate, from the German-Jewish art historian Rose Schapire in gratitude for her safety in Britain, of a collection of German Expressionist paintings, pre-eminently by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. He was said to have described her as “a conceited fool who no more understands art than a cow understands dancing”. This is why the Leicester City Art Gallery has such a fine German Expressionist collection.
Nicholas Jacobs
London
• How wonderful to hear about Barry Crossland’s unfashionable, non-materialistic lifestyle (How I spend it, 24 March). But a Green party member boasting about seven holidays in a year? Maybe a bit of joined-up thinking is required.
Margaret Lowndes
Richmond, North Yorkshire
• The founders of the Open University (Jennie Lee) and the NHS (her husband, Aneurin Bevan) arguably did more to enable people to overcome underprivilege than any other pair in the 20th century (Letters, 26 March). Stealthily, the Tories have almost destroyed their monumental gifts to the nation.
Glenys Canham
Crosby, Merseyside
• “If dear old Bevan / Goes up to Heaven / He’ll always be healthy, / If not wealthy.” Seventy one years on, where are we now?
Jean Jackson
Seer Green, Buckinghamshire
• I found Facebook won’t delete a date of birth once entered, but will let you change it, so I made myself the oldest it would permit. Facebook thinks I am now about 112, and has stopped targeting me with funeral services adverts.
Mark Lewinski
Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire
• The most memorable (and poignant) sick note I received as a teacher was to excuse a 12-year-old girl’s absence “because she had her first menopause” (Letters, 24 March).
Dr Brigid Purcell
Norwich
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