What a delightful insight into the life of one of Britain’s elite political families (A Life in the Day, Magazine, last week). I noticed that Emily Benn has attended Wallington high school for girls and St Olave’s in Orpington, both selective grammar schools. Such a shame the opportunity for ordinary children to enjoy a grammar school education was taken away by the political ideology of her grandfather and grandmother.

Richard Griffiths
Reigate Grammar School 1972-79

NHS BUGS: I don’t doubt the accuracy of Dr Margaret Daly’s comparison of the NHS with healthcare in America (Letters, last week). But how does she explain the findings of the study on healthcare in 29 European countries where the NHS came 17th on medical standards? On value for money just three countries – Bulgaria, Poland and Latvia – were worse than Britain. As a consultant oncologist Daly should be particularly interested that “where the UK lets patients down is by poor access to new treatments, especially in cancer”.

Bryan Oliver
Majorca, Spain

BUILDING HERITAGE: I’m not sure I want my National Trust membership subscription to be used to purchase swathes of land to stop housebuilding (News, last week). We have our democratic process and planning laws to decide where houses should be built. Sir William Proby, from the comfort of his country pile, should give a thought to the plight of young people unable to buy a home.

Adrian Dean
Knutsford, Cheshire

GOOD READZ: Ed Balls says that children should practise reading, “even the label on a tin of baked beans”. But not, I hope, the label by Heinz – they sell “baked beanz”.

Paul Chadwick
Derby

WATCH SALES: The headline of the report Auction dodge pushes up luxury watch prices (News, October 28) implied that Omega participated in an auction of vintage pieces as a means of driving up its perceived value. In fact, the Omega museum has taken part in many auctions to build its collection: for example JFK’s Omega watch was bought at Sotheby’s in 2005; Lawrence of Arabia’s in 2003. Also, Stephen Urquhart, the Omega president, never spoke to your reporter; his comments from a horological magazine were taken out of context.

Joseph Panetta
communications director,
The Swatch Group (UK)

GRAMMAR LESSON: I hope that the excellent educational experience which Carole Evans offers to the girls of Birkenhead high school (Letters, last week) includes grammar lessons so that they will realise that “supported by my staff and I” should be “by my staff and me”.

Dianne Dawson
Jouxtens-Mezery, Switzerland

UNSTUCK: I did not gleefully adopt the term “stuckism” as Martin Ivens says (Brown is stuck too far back to see what we really want, Comment, last week). I just went along with Charles Thomson and have regretted it ever since. Nor did Tracey Emin kick me out – I was living with my girlfriend. The term “stuckism” was adopted ironically, not because we were stuck, but because we were not, much in the way that Gordon Brown has appropriated the title prime minister. I do, however, agree with Ivens’s, possibly unintentional, political alignment of Emin and Margaret Thatcher.

Billy Childish
Co-Founder and Ex-Stuckist
Chatham, Kent

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