The description of the New York High Line as “winding through a rundown area of Manahattan” in your garden bridge editorial (15 August) isn’t quite up to date. As a child and adolescent I lived on Bethune Street, about 100 yards from where the High Line more or less begins. The 1836 Greek revival townhouse (that’s realtor-speak) in which I grew up was offered by the then-owner to my parents in 1946 for $8,000. The three condo units of the building are currently advertised for a combined rent of $32,500 per month. Rundown in comparison to what? Trump Tower?
Patrick Carroll
Helston, Cornwall
• Five professors and one doctor writing to you in Tuesday’s paper. May I (as a non-titled citizen of the world) make a plea for the Democratic Republic of the Letters Page to permit just the first name and last name of letter writers? If all those titled people kick up a fuss then we’ll all know that they are not so confident after all in their opinions.
Alison Hackett
Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin
• Never mind who wins the most frequently published letters contest, Keith or Frank (Letters, 12 August). On Wednesday’s page out of 21 letters, 10 were written by women, and of these four by women called Margaret. Having noticed the gender of letter writers over very many years, I think this must be a record.
Gill Empson
Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire
• Apropos Patrick Barkham’s Notebook (15 August) reference to a notice that could confuse foreigners, “Cats eyes removed”. Some time ago a similar notice appeared on a nearby road, which happened to be close to the local veterinary practice. Some joker had added the words “No appointment necessary”.
Anne Blandford
Wedmore, Somerset
• According to Rowena Mason (The flipside of Corbyn, 15 August), some Tories admire Jacob Rees-Mogg for his “authenticity and refusal to pretend to be something he is not”. So he really is a character invented by Evelyn Waugh?
Michael Pyke
Shenstone, Staffordshire
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