Vulgar debate
Sir: I have to disagree with Theodore Dalrymple on his always jaundiced view of England and the English (‘Common people’, 6 November). I work in a tourist area of Sydney and find the English/British the least offensive of any of the overseas visitors. They are also the most attractive, especially the young backpackers all tanned up from days on Bondi beach. And always very polite.
I travel to England twice a year and use the trains and tubes, and the ferry over to France, and am always impressed by the orderliness I encounter.
Sure, I see some fat, tattooed, pierced, appallingly toothed people, but surely they are the descendants of Sir Francis Drake and the armies of Nelson and Wellington?
Lily Murray
Glebe, NSW, Australia
Sir: I commute regularly from France and Theodore Dalrymple’s observation of the vulgar Britons uncannily reflects my own impressions. I would go even further in my condemnation. He mentions the dreadful choice of books on sale at UK airports, but he fails to point out that, by my estimation, only one in ten passengers ever reads anything on the two-hour flight to or from the south of France. Furthermore, such is the jingoistic attitude of most of the British passengers that few of them feel any obligation to utter one word of the French language; they just speak louder in their lazy English tones. I usually feel ashamed to be British in such company.
Robin Boyle
Bargemon, France
Biting rebuke
Sir: Barry Humphries’s otherwise excellent diary in your latest edition (6 November) was marred by a reference to ‘pillow biters’. This reveals the contempt in which he holds so many of Dame Edna’s fans who have made him so rich. Shame on him for writing it. Shame on you for publishing.
Andrew Chard
London W10
All fingers and thumbs
Sir: Damian Thompson’s article (Arts, 6 November) reminded me of attending a concert some years ago at the Albert Hall of a pianist/conductor of international fame giving a recital of Beethoven sonatas. How amazed I was when this particular musician seemed barely capable of playing the notes in the right order, let alone interpreting the pieces. A few wrong notes from even a great pianist can be forgiven in a ‘live’ concert, but as a dedicated music lover I find the problem is most irritating in a recording, as once you know the flaw is there you are always anticipating it.
There still remains much tolerance for musicians from the old school (especially Alfred Cortot) whom no present-day record company would touch, but whose interpretations still inspire and reach a certain greatness in their brashness.
The great Swiss pianist Edwin Fischer was asked by one of his students at a masterclass why he always carried an old briefcase with him wherever he went. He replied that it contained all his wrong notes — a humble and illuminating answer.
Tim Poulter
East Grinstead, Sussex
Critical advantage
Sir: On the question of why film critics don’t mention difficulties with hearing the soundtrack, Roger Hudson (Letters, 6 November) suggests that in the small preview theatres at which they see films, the sound systems may be better than at normal cinemas. But there could be another reason. Critics are given press packs which include fairly detailed summaries of the plot; they don’t need to hear all the words in order to understand what’s going on.
Miriam Gross
London W2
Total invention
Sir: Your issue of 30 October contains a review of Simon Hoggart’s book A Long Lunch: My Stories and I’m Sticking to Them. In it your reviewer quotes a story about me which is a complete invention. I strongly suspect that most of the rest of Mr Hoggart’s stories are, too — hence, I suppose, the pre-emptively defensive title of his book.
Nigel Lawson
House of Lords, London SW1
Fire fight
Sir: I was mystified by your editorial ‘Burning Issue’ (30 October) concerning the current dispute between the London Fire Brigade and its operational staff, of which I am one. The only reason we are striking is because the politicians and management are in the process of sacking 5,500 operational staff to force them on to a shift pattern that is detrimental not only to them, but (more important) to the public. If the management removes the threat of blanket sackings the strikes will end. Your comments concerning the inactivity of soldiers in the last national strike (2002), ratio of ambulance staff to firefighters, and ‘paramedic support’ show an alarming lack of understanding of a fire-fighter’s job. Firefighting is more labour intensive than attending an average medical emergency, which explains the ratio of firefighters to ambulance staff. A standard flat or house fire requires at least 12 firefighters to stand a good chance of containing the fire and performing rescues. Our procedures must conform to health and safety law, although the first machine to arrive at an incident will often need to break those rules if life is endangered. In the first eight years of this century, 18 firefighters were killed while working, proportionally a greater fatality rate than the police.
Firefighter J. Stephens
Orpington, Kent
Dead parrot
Sir: With reference to Mark Palmer and his parrot (‘The pecking order’, 30 October), why doesn’t he borrow an airgun and shoot the bird? Far easier for all concerned.
Mike Bailey
Spain
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