Letter: Seeing red in Liverpool

Sir: Was Neil Lyndon really expecting to get comparative perspectives on the cities of Liverpool and Manchester ("Seeing, Red"; Magazine, 11 May)? I certainly saw red at comments like "This town is knackered and has been for 30 years." Ironically, this jaundiced view came from Ian Hargraves, who is handling the publicity for the Liverpool end of Euro '96. What a reflection on this man's imagination when, in a city bustling with a wonderful mix of bars and restaurants, he arranges to meet the journalist in a soulless hotel bar.

But then what did Mr Lyndon expect? In Liverpool he talks to an ageing, Rotarian, retired hack: in Manchester he talks to Dave Haslam - "a Manchester scene-maker, one of the city's leading DJs". Haslam obviously knows his adopted city and its people well, unlike Hargraves, who churns out all the old stereotypes.

Pam O'Prey

Liverpool