Emma Beddington’s observations on neighbours (I don’t believe we’re a nation of neighbours at war – despite what the headlines say, 31 August) are timely and sad. This week, we say goodbye to our lovely neighbours of 19 years. We became friends the day they arrived, in spite of an age difference of some 20 years. Could the key to our friendship be that, in response to a tentative inquiry on that first day, we discovered that we were all Guardian readers? Good luck, Nick and Amy, please stay in touch.
Alistair and Angela Taylor
York
• The examples of newspeak (Letters, 1 September) reminded me of a classic Monty Python example of stringing such verbiage together: “I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not! And I’m sick and tired of being told that I am.”
Phil Coughlin
Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear
• Re matching newspapers with growing crops (Letters, 31 August), the European must have been very good for french beans, brussels and even swedes. And Professional Boatbuilder might be good for leeks.
Richard Barnard
Wivenhoe, Essex
• My fellow allotment holder always lines his potato trench with the Express newspaper. This not only helps water retention, it also provides a faster crop.
Terry Mckeown
Maryport, Cumbria
• How long before there is a divorce citing a chatbot as the third party (Report, 30 August)?
Hilary Bird
Kilndown, Kent
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