Robert Harling

Hugh Chevallier writes: I read with interest the obituary of Robert Harling (obituary, July 3) — “Typographic designer whose vision led to the creation of a range of books and journals which were ahead of their time”.

The description may very well be true, but arguably his most enduring design had a deliberately retrospective style. In 1938 to mark the publication of the 75th edition, he was asked to redesign the typography of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. Harling commissioned the artist Eric Ravilious to create a deliberately Victorian-looking wood engraving — and used Playbill, his own, newly created but distinctly old-fashioned typeface, to complement it, giving the cover a very 19th-century feel. Both the chunky, heavy serifed, Wild-West-looking lettering of “Wisden” and the wood engraving appear on the almanack to this day. Perhaps Harling really was ahead of his time.

Ray Wyre

Graham St. John-Willey and Alison Richards write: As director and information officer, respectively, of Action for Children Campaign we were privileged to receive vital assistance from Ray Wyre (obituary, July 1) in our campaign to have legislation passed in this country to enable those British citizens who had sexually abused children abroad to be prosecuted here.

Ray’s presence as an undisputed and highly respected expert in working with child sex offenders lent weight and force to our arguments. He was softly-spoken, but effective in what he said. Some two years later, the legislation entered the statute book — initially in the Sexual Offences (Conspiracy & Incitement) Act, 1996, and subsequently as part of the Sex Offenders Act, 1997.

Cliff Hall

David Stuckey, author of The Spinners: Fried Bread and Brandy-O, writes : Cliff Hall (obituary, June 30) was one of nature’s true gentle men and also the Spinners’ master-stroke. At a time when racial harmony was not fashionable, the group demonstrated it in a bold and tuneful way by including him and his repertoire of Caribbean calypsos in their line-up.