We are probably unsurprised by Alan Bennett’s resistance to “the digital world” , but in his “bundle of contradictions” is one that is hard to accept: as a socialist, he rages against privilege in general, yet he’s a royalist who thinks the Queen is a gift. To writers, perhaps, but this collector of corgis and the riches of her subjects is the very core of divisive privilege.
Carolyn Kirton
Aberdeen
Guy Garvey is, and always will be, a great poet/musician/raconteur. His voice is instantly recognisable, and we’ve all courted the squall at some stage. Guy, I salute you and your “swinging lightbulb”.
Andrew Taravella
Aberystwyth
How shameful was it to tell a grieving woman that her dead husband’s pay was being docked because he hadn’t completed a full day’s work. The political and military establishments are happy to enlist teenagers to fight their illegal wars yet, when they fall in action, they cover up the truth to prolong their careers.
Stuart Carruthers
Lewes, East Sussex
Most papers would not countenance such a nationalist piece on the 1963 Welsh language protest. It will be interesting to see how this period of Welsh history is taught in the new curriculum. We need to impress upon the next generation just why Welsh is important, why it can change your worldview and connect you with the culture. We cannot just force children to learn it and not use it.
Jangfet On theguardian.com
Bim Adewunmi cites Leonardo DiCaprio’s “environmentalism” as one reason for her crush on him (31 October). Is this the same Leonardo DiCaprio who accepted an invitation to fly to Macau to open a casino complex for a reported fee of $17m?
Christine Williams
Llandysul, Ceredigion
Stephen Collins’s brilliant Halloween insights apply to most aspects of life in the US compared with that in the UK. How telling and, for us, how sad. Yes, US society faces huge problems, but there is always a spring in its step and joy in its heart.
Richard Giles
Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear
A momentous issue: a lovely profile of Alan Bennett, who is cherished here in the Yorkshire Dales (complete with baling hook on his windowsill), and a restaurant review in which I stumbled over just one word, “guac”: oh, Marina, you are a cool one, but I hope you are not dumbing down.
Ernest Manby
Gargrave, North Yorkshire
“What links Alexander the Great, Mary II, Karen Carpenter, Bill Hicks, Bruce Lee and Keith Moon? They all died at 32”. Just because someone got 15 out of 15 a few weeks ago is no reason to punish the rest of us by making the questions even harder.
Penelope Wallace (2/15 – generous marking)
Beeston, Nottingham
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