Your Letters
17:44 UK time, Tuesday, 14 October 2008
The news on Radio 4 on Sunday evening suggested that British banks would be requesting £40bn on Monday. The 10 o'clock news on Ö÷²¥´óÐã1 that evening suggested it would be £50bn. It turns out to be £37bn - much closer to the Radio 4 guess. This confirms my suspicion that the TV half of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's news operation has been erring on the side of scare-mongering whenever possible during the financial crisis. As the crisis is mainly one of confidence (or lack thereof), this is a particularly unhelpful and irresponsible policy for the national broadcaster to take.
Tom, London
Caroline Dalton (Letters, Monday) urges us to stop buying Ringo Starr's records. Well, judging from the chart position of his latest album "Liverpool 8" (number 91 in the UK Album Top 100), we already have.
Johan van Slooten, Urk, Netherlands
Outraged Ringo Starr bashers should note that he's simply said he won't be signing stuff you send him through the post any more. Which implies, surely, that he was before? Assuming he started doing it in the 60s, he has been at it for at least 40 years; now there's dedication. If most marriages lasted that long we'd be ecstatic!
Adam, London, UK
She's !
Robert, Surrey
A 67-year-old paper boy called Stan McWhirter? If he's in the Guinness Book of Records, then that is just blatant nepotism.
Martin Hollywood, Luxembourg
. Is it just me, or should we be rather more concerned about the deceased individual and how he came to be there, rather than the food hygiene issues?
Phil, Oxford
In we learn that the "final suggestions have to be approved by the Stamp Advisory Committee." So do they give the Post Office stamps of approval? I'll be off post-haste.
TS, Bromley, England
Setting aside the , I'm confused by the idea of stamp collectors being "angry" that the Royal Mail issues so many stamps. Why don't they just collect the stamps they like? Or choose another hobby that they'd find less annoying?
David Richerby, Leeds, UK
The is now 0300 1231212. Who on earth thought that one out! Surely they could have thought of something a lot shorter (three or four figures) for us all to EASILY remember? "Sorry what was that number again?".
Peter Brunnen, New Malden, Surrey
Following Tom Hawkey's letter yesterday (Letters, Monday), I have just been repeatedly saying 'booth' enjoying the mellifluous feeling it produces. An unfortunate side-effect is that it inevitably reminds you of Cherie Blair rather spoiling the effect.
James Dawkins, Reading
To Joseph, London (Letters, Monday). It's obvious why Mattel is worth more than Ford? Mattel's cars don't need petrol
Colin Larcombe, Orleans, France
The National Academy of Sciences of the United States () must have thought long and hard about what to call their journal. Surely someone must have been having a laugh...or pointing out some 'shortcomings'.
Dalina, Jo'burg, South africa
Re: - have they got really, really long legs then?
Dr Toes, Carharrack
In reply to Diane, Sutton (Letters, Monday): "Whilst" is used before a vowel, otherwise use "while". This eases the flow of the words, just as do the two different pronuciations of the definite article THE, depending on whether or not it preceeds a vowel.
Photographics, Nottingham UK
David Roberts (Letters, Monday), yes, in fact we're probably all related to each other at that level of remoteness. You have a lot of birthday and Christmas present to make up for, I don't believe you got me that bike I asked for in '92 either, way before the crunch so don't even think of blaming hard times. I do accept cheque.
Angel, Coventry, UK
Reading I was reminded of a new home I viewed where a 'bedroom' was just 6'6'' by 6'5''. If rooms get any smaller then people will really have to start thinking outside of the box.
Phil Owens, Liverpool, United Kingdom
The 
