What is the origin of the letters around the dressage ring? They don’t seem to have any logic.

There are two sets of letters: the first is AKEHCMBF and the second, the more commonly seen in competitions, is AKVESHCMRBIF. The first is used in a 20x20m arena and the latter in the 20x60m arena. You will note from this preamble that I have not answered the question. The answer is no one is absolutely sure of the origin, although three main theories exist: 1. the initials of towns taken by the

Romans — mostly discounted; 2. positions taken by the German royalty and nobility when on parade; 3. the initials of horses in the stable yards of a William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle, 1592-1676. This last is the one that I have grown up with.

Robert Cave, Crick, Northants

I know several people with the surnames Brown, White and Grey. Why are there rarely any surnames using primary colours?

Surnames began during the 11th century when the few personal names in use became insufficient to identify individuals in an increasing population. Describing appearance was one method adopted: Brown, White, Grey and Black describe hair colour, and exist in Europe as Braun, Blanc, Negri etc. Redhead by the late 18th century remained predominantly in eastern counties — testament to Viking genes. Green, however, is geographic, describing someone who lived by the village green. Other colours as surnames are rarer and have mostly resulted from misspellings or contractions of other words, eg, Pink may have derived from Finch via Pinch or Pinkstone via Pinkerton (geographic).

Joan Horton, Slough, Berks

During the First World War did the French and German troops (and others) produce war poetry?

The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry, ed Jon Silkin, includes works by German, French, Italian and Russian writers, although none of them, in my opinion, matches the beautiful, bitter anger of Sassoon and Owen.

Ian J. Hartill, Chandlers Ford, Hants

Poetry was written by troops of all nationalities in the First World War. The Lost Voices of World War I, edited by Tim Cross, includes work by Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Serb, Armenian, German, French and English writers.

Martin Marix Evans, Blakesley, Northants