Letter: States of mind

Sir: I don't remember a 'state of leaden gloom' surrounding Chamberlain's Munich agreement of 1938 (Paul Johnson, 8 March). Before Munich there was a strong sense of fear; after Munich there was a strong sense of relief, and immediately after that there was a violent sense of shame.

None of these very positive emotions seems to correspond with our present national mood, which seems to be a sort of hopeless weary cynicism.

On the principle that there is nothing wrong with a hypochondriac that a good illness wouldn't cure, perhaps we need a thorough-going national disaster to make us all cheerful again. Any suggestions?

Yours,

GEOFFREY LANGLEY

Bristol

8 March