There has been much of late about “peak stuff”; your columnist Will Hutton (“If having more no longer satisfies us, perhaps we’ve reached ‘peak stuff’”, Comment) is the latest contributor. It was a live topic among my peers in the late 1960s and influenced how many of us sought to live a more frugal life. This did not mean we eschewed the real benefits and comforts of developed economies, simply that we were not in thrall to acquisition.
Applying this formula to the New Economics Foundation’s matrix of five key performance measures is not encouraging as those classed as the merely well off all the way to the super-rich will continue to use their increasing wealth and purchasing power to acquire more and skew the market. I would note in passing that Hutton’s gloss on the reasons for house price rises – “it is a good investment to boot” – is a significant factor in their current unattainable, for many, levels and a major component of “stuff”.
My friends and I would certainly concur that the issue is possibly the extent to which “stuff” has proved incapable of filling an ontological chasm at the heart of western society.
Roger Emmerson
Edinburgh
Alcohol drives lewd behaviour
The outpouring of negativity towards Jess Phillips MP, after her comments about sexual assaults on women, appears to miss the point completely (“Outspoken MP draws line under sex attack row that split a city”, News). Licensing authorities allow very late hours in pubs and clubs and police budgets do not allow for adequate police presence. The downing of copious amounts of alcohol lowers inhibitions and results in a fair amount of inappropriate, aggressive and lewd behaviour. Phillips seems to have hit a raw nerve. And so it should do, because we are doing nothing to address the issues involved.
Martin Sandaver
Hay-on-Wye
Hereford
Best hacks on screen
It’s always a risk choosing the 10 best of anything and that applies to Peter Preston’s selection of the 10 best journalists on screen (New Review). There are some indisputable ones in the list but maybe Lois Lane (Superman) and Elliot Carver (Tomorrow Never Dies) are pushing it a bit. But surely one contender must be Good Night, and Good Luck, which focused on the decision by Edward R Murrow to investigate Senator Joe McCarthy’s witch-hunting tactics and reckless allegations against people. George Clooney’s 2005 black-and-white film perfectly captured the tensions behind the decision to expose McCarthy. Incidentally, Murrow offered McCarthy the “right of reply”. McCarthy, in a later broadcast, came across as deranged and inflicted more damage to his reputation.
Granville Williams
Upton
West Yorks
Flexible jobs for disabled people
The government has made a welcome commitment to halve the disability employment gap, but there is a huge amount of work to be done (“Disabled are ‘left behind’ in the hunt for jobs”, News). If the government’s drive for full employment is to succeed, it must place increasing the rate of employment among disabled people at the heart of future employment and growth strategies.
It will shortly publish a white paper on improving employment support for disabled people. An important part of the solution will be embedding flexible work practices in business. Flexible work is one of the most commonly requested forms of reasonable adjustment made by disabled people and can be relatively easy and inexpensive to put in place.
Mark Atkinson,
CEO, Scope
London N7
Acoustics in Nottingham
With reference to Raf Orlowski’s letter (“Marrying acoustics and design”), I would urge anyone with an interest in world-class acoustic design to visit the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham. Built in 1982, the architects, Renton Howard Wood Levin, and the acoustic designer, Russell Johnson, worked closely to give the venue its remarkable acoustic flexibility. Besides the sound-reflecting, massive hung ceiling, it has a huge 32-ton movable reflecting canopy that hangs over the stage platform and can be raised, lowered or tilted to suit the nature of every concert. Since its very first concert performances, the Royal Concert Hall’s remarkable acoustic quality has been highly praised by performers and audiences. International star Bryn Terfel once remarked during a performance that the venue had “one of the finest acoustics in Europe” and Sir Mark Elder, music director of the Hallé, described the acoustics as “superb… a rare combination of warmth and clarity”.
Robert Sanderson
Managing director
Nottingham Theatre Royal & Royal
Concert Hall
Nottingham
No platform for abuse
You are to be congratulated on your mission to restrict online hate comments (“Handling outrage online”, Comment). While freedom of speech is essential in a democracy, there is no need for the Observer to provide a platform for racists, misogynists, homophobes and those who simply wish to engage in vulgar abuse. There are plenty of outlets for those views elsewhere.
Roy Boffy
Walsall
