Village effort saves those caught short

Gargrave, North Yorkshire. After the planned closure of the village toilets, they were taken over and are now run by local volunteers, says David Handley. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

The closure of public toilets has caused a panic, not least for those travelling by car (The Shewee revolution: how 2020 has changed urination, 3 September). When our parish council decided to close the village centre toilets a splendid initiative took them over. Now, they are a pristine facility, funded and run by volunteers. Significantly, they are the only roadside toilets on the 50 miles between Harrogate and Kirby Lonsdale. Closure would have been a disaster for visitors to the Dales and the Lakes.
David Handley
Gargrave, North Yorkshire

• My mother and I once went to a theatre in Altrincham that played the national anthem (Letters, 3 September). As a staunch republican, she refused to stand. In the row in front was the only other person still sitting, so my mother leant forward to express solidarity, only to discover they were in a wheelchair.
Bob Hughes
Willoughby, Warwickshire

• I can well remember my husband bringing home bags of Huytonure (Letters, 3 September) from the local sewage works when he worked in Huyton. Our garden was the beneficiary of this wonderful stuff.
Beth Cresswell
Hightown, Merseyside

• Our elder daughter is married with a family and still has a small piece of her comfort blanket (Letters, 3 September). She is 52 next month.
Stella Waterer
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire

• “Police shoot dead man...” says your headline in the print edition (5 September). Have they run out of live ones? One for Pedanticus, I think.
Val Spouge
Braintree, Essex