Letters | 2 May 2013

Goers and go-getters

Sir: In her interesting article on the rising equality in the female world (‘Sex and success, 27 April), Alison Wolf states that A*/top-stream girls stay virgins until 20 ‘because they have more important things on their minds’. I am not sure about this. I certainly remember that this was not the case when I was at Wellington in the late 1990s: the A* girls were usually the goers.
Nolan Walker
London EC1

Ms Kite’s elitism

Sir: We would like to take issue with Melissa Kite’s piece (‘Two-wheeled tyranny’, 27 April). I write on behalf of CTC, the national cycling charity. I was delighted to find two of our members are active cycle campaigners with firsthand knowledge of the Kenilworth Greenway, referred to in her article. One of them, George Riches, was even a member of the steering group during the planning stages of the route. He thought Ms Kite’s view high-handed and elitist. Mr Riches remembers the 1970s when he cycled along the disused railway line to Berkwell and says: ‘Now the track is open to all, it is tremendously well-used’. He added that the Kenilworth Greenway is busy at weekends, allowing families and wheelchair users to enjoy the countryside together on the smooth tarmacked surface that seems to offend Ms Kite so much. CTC understands the Greenway is enjoyed by a local ladies’ cycling group and is not, as Ms Kite sees it, the sole domain of the much-maligned Mamils (Middle-aged men in Lycra).

The Kenilworth Greenway is now providing happy childhood memories for a new generation of cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians alike. Warwickshire County Council quite rightly say this provides more opportunities for ‘all members of society’ to enjoy the countryside.

Seeing the fulsome negative responses to the article that have already posted online, perhaps Ms Kite should get off her high horse — or her Louboutin heels — and on to a bike.