Letter: Mellor's style has its merits

Sir: I disagree with Matt Tench's comment in his article on Danny Baker (8 March) that David Mellor's style on the Radio 5 Live phone-in programme Six-0-Six is "patronising" and disagree with his comparisons of Mellor to "a lord of the manor" talking to "his estate workers".

I have always found David Mellor on Six-0-Six to be a polite and friendly host who encourages callers to give their views, however unorthodox, and who speaks with equal patience and sincerity to either a tongue-tied first- time caller or to an old hand from the Football Association.

David Mellor has, by most people's standards, a posh voice and a broad vocabulary. These are not necessarily incompatible either with an interest in football or with sports broadcasting and it is to David Mellor's credit that he has not attempted to adjust to a more "blokeish" style which would indeed be patronising.

DAFYDD O WILLIAMS

Tonbridge,

Kent