Sarah Helm is compelling on the necessity to talk with Hamas to secure peace, justice for the Palestinians and security for Israel (Opinion, 19 May). When negotiations with the more moderate PLO failed, Hamas took its place. If Hamas’s new olive branch fails, jihadism and/or Islamic State will likely take its place. Israel and the west must respond positively to see if fresh negotiations can succeed. Or simply accept culpability in escalating terror, siege and misery.
Peter Hain
Labour, House of Lords
• Lloyds claims taxpayers made £900m profit from a bailout of £20.3bn over six years (Report, 18 May). How much would Lloyds normally expect to make over six years on an investment of £20.3bn? Perhaps £900m a year?
David Evans
Chester
• Your panel shows that all Chinese-owned clubs in England are in the West Midlands (Sport, 17 May). Why?
Kartar Uppal
Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands
• Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, as well as all those “clean eating” experts should be very despondent, as they do seem to clog up the cookery shelves in the charity shops in large numbers (G2, 16 May). I never see a Mary Berry one at all.
Janet Mansfield
Aspatria, Cumbria
• I can assure Suzanne Moore (G2, 18 May) that conkers really are an effective way to keep clothes moths at bay, if you collect fresh ones every year. Enlist children or grandchildren to help.
Elizabeth Wardle
New Barnet, Hertfordshire
• My late mother-in-law had a grandfather clock in her hall so my grandson (then aged 2) called her Tick-Tock (Letters, passim). We still refer to her by that name.
Stuart Waterworth
Tavistock, Devon
• Our grandchildren call my wife Nana and me Tim. I can understand how my wife’s title was arrived at, but not mine.
Tim Kelly
West Kirby, Wirral
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