Re the article by Gaby Hinsliff (The ‘cash for access’ revelations mean a veil of secrecy around Prince Charles must be lifted, 2 August), for the avoidance of doubt, can I just say that Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak or Prince Charles would have to pay me to have dinner with them, not the other way round? About £10m would do it – I can think of lots of charities that would appreciate a share of that.
Judy Cliffe
Sutton on the Forest, North Yorkshire
I enjoyed Zoe Williams’ piece (2 August), but I must take issue with her offhand dismissal of Brian Patten’s lovely poem A Blade of Grass, which is a thoughtful, gentle poem capable of deeper analysis. It was always enjoyed by my Yorkshire-accented pupils on the O-level syllabus many years ago.
Ken Gambles
Calcutt, North Yorkshire
When the energy firm Uniper comes to demolish the UK’s last remaining coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire, as mentioned in your print edition (Out of steam, 5 August), would it please do the decent thing and replace it with the woods and the hilltop farm that looked down on the 13th-century parish church until 1963?
Richard Williams
East Twickenham, London
British Railways’ three-wheeled tractor units, made by Scammell, were not electric but diesel (Letters, 4 August). One is preserved at Bury Transport Museum.
John R Batts
Banbury, Oxfordshire
As a retired teacher, I remember – quite fondly – the absence note referring to a pupil’s “dire rear” (Letters, 4 August).
Janet Lewis
Wrecsam, North Wales