Letters: Briefly

I WAS delighted to hear of John Patten's bold and imaginative plan for training mothers as infant teachers. I have written to him suggesting an extension of this scheme to transform butchers into surgeons, road-menders into dentists, hairdressers into nuclear physicists, and, since the post obviously requires so little in the way of educational understanding, headless chickens into ministers of education.

T J Ilott, Ponthir, Gwent

FIVE years for cutting off a policeman's hand with a machete. Five years for questioning a youth about the whereabouts of stolen property for 20 minutes without physical harm. Thank goodness fairness and balance is at last becoming apparent in our judiciary.

R W Kirby, Diss, Norfolk

CAPTAIN Moonlight should not let reference to men's shorts pass ('Short shrift for knees', 13 June) without mentioning Lord Baden-Powell, their great proponent. One of my teachers was not called up for the war. To signal his wartime service, he wore his scoutmaster's uniform all day, every day 'for the duration'.

A B Knight, London N6

HAVING recently transferred from rock and pop concerts to classical music, I miss being involved in the music, so I was interested to read 'Dark days for light music' (13 June). It amazes me how still people sit while watching a classical performance. Perhaps organisers should take a lead from rock performances and take out the seating. People would be more involved if they could move about.

Susan Lucas, London SE17

AM I the only reader who does not understand Leviathan? I read political articles, recipes, arts and science pages, all of which I enjoy. I even attempt the crossword by Quixote. I think Bestiary is brilliant ('The Spider in the Bath' made me laugh out loud on the train). However, Peter Blegvad's cartoon is too deep - maybe I mean 'dep' - for me.

Michael Gilford, Saltash, Cornwall