To be fair to Durham University, when I went there in the 1960s from a South Yorkshire working-class background, the only criterion for admission seemed to be whether you could catch a rugby ball. League or union didn’t matter (Students from northern England facing ‘toxic attitude’ at Durham University, 19 October).
Mike Smith
Southampton
• I mused on Emma Beddington’s article about the firsts in her son’s life (My son has become a Covid tester. It’s a world of anxiety, overtime – and Fray Bentos pies, 22 October) while I sewed a mask for my grandson’s 11th birthday present – his first rite of passage.
Hilary Stokes
Cambridge
• It’s costing £7m to rebrand the roads agency (Highways England rebrand accused of being an ‘offensive’ waste of £7m, 20 October)? That’s highway robbery!
Pete Rushforth
Sheffield
• Your report (20 October) on plans to extend wireless 4G to the lunar surface filled me with hope. Perhaps the same technology could be used to provide a similar service to this corner of Bournemouth?
David Foster
Bournemouth, Dorset
• Having just read Richard Sharp’s political history (Rishi Sunak’s ex-Goldman Sachs boss emerges as next possible BBC chair, 22 October), I can see how he would fit into his putative new post seamlessly.
Eddie Dougall
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
• You report that the government is seeking a failure specialist (UK government seeks test and trace executive for up to £2,000 a day, 22 October), but surely it has plenty of homegrown talent in the cabinet to fill such a vacancy?
Pete Lavender
Nottingham
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