Andrew Bailey is right to distance the British financial system from cryptocurrency, but he is being too polite about it (Editorial, 29 July). Cryptocurrency is evil. Being speculative in nature, it serves no purpose as a useful currency, and being secretive, it facilitates international drug dealing, people trafficking and terrorism. In addition to helping destabilise our precarious world, it has a huge, unnecessary carbon footprint. It’s time for our financial authorities to speak truth to money.
Nick Makepeace
Narberth, Pembrokeshire
• At my primary school in 1948 I was sent almost daily to the headmaster, who would give me two painful whacks on each of my hands – all for talking in class. I now appreciate that I simply suffered, well before my time, from an excess of “oracy” (Letters, 1 August).
Alan Woolley
Weybridge, Surrey
• With reference to the letter from Mike Lowcock about Prince Charles (31 July), the wearing of a sgian-dubh (“dagger” as you so tweely translated for your English readers) is legal when worn as part of the national dress of Scotland.
Mark Westwood
Edinburgh
• Are any of the 472 white storks seen over London from 2016 to 2023 (Report, 4 August) evidence of assistance to the beleaguered NHS maternity services?
David Fellows
Storrington, West Sussex
• Our local tip here in Grantham (Letters, 30 July) has a picture of Margaret Thatcher hanging in its canteen. It’s used as a dartboard.
Lyn Hogan
Grantham, Lincolnshire
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