Alex Kroll

Susannah Moss writes: Nowhere in your comprehensive obituary of Alex Kroll (June 27) do you mention his modesty and quiet kindness. As a young secretary to Robert Harling at House & Garden in the early Seventies, I frequently benefited from his gentle diplomacy and inherent courteousness.

How interesting that the photograph illustrating the obituary shows him in his magazine and book-strewn office, which was tucked away at the end of a long corridor on the fourth floor of Vogue House: someone had clearly dusted and tidied up before the photograph was taken. I never remember it looking like that!

Jennifer Hilary

Michael Cox, producer of Sam, writes: In your obituary of Jennifer Hilary (Aug 23) I was sorry to see no mention of the television series Sam (1973-75) by John Finch. Jennifer was suggested for the part of Sarah, Sam’s girlfriend and later his wife, by another fine actress Alethea Charlton, who played Sam’s Aunt Ethel.

This came at a time when Jennifer usually played the attractive heroine in TV crime or adventure series. I remember that the casting director on Sam doubted if Jennifer could play a more demanding role. In the event she was triumphant, as she usually was when given a part worthy of her talent.

The Right Rev Anselm Genders

Jill Hetherington writes: When I was raising funds for St Augustine’s, Penhalonga, Zimbabwe, I wrote to Bishop Genders (obituary, Aug 26) at Mirfield, inquiring which Augustine was the patron saint of that mission.

I received a reply on a picture postcard from San Diego Zoo; no message but a picture of a large wallowing creature and an arrow pointing to the words “Nile hippopotamus” with “hippo” firmly underlined.

Stewart Mott

Professor Sidney Lowry writes: We got to know Stewart Mott (obituary, June 25), the scion of the General Motors family, during our years in Bermuda.

We first met him when we docked our boat in his little harbour off the Great Sound. He looked like Ernest Hemingway’s “Old Man of the Sea”. Stewart invited us to look around his splendid home, the Parapet, on Scaur Hill. His pride was his childhood tree house that had every convenience, including television.

Stewart was a generous host and his parties were legendary. He will be remembered in Bermuda for the time he placed a detailed job description in the local press for a new spouse. I don’t know whether any of the applicants were successful.