Arts and Design

Cities are so last century | Letters


Thomas Heatherwick, and his vision of the future of the city landscape (“The city will be a new kind of space”, Magazine), fails to address the question: why cities in the first place? From the agricultural revolution around Ur to the Industrial Revolution, cities have been the centre of trade and commerce and provided a magnet to more rural populations. All this has been superseded by the technology revolution. If we hope to people our cities by luring visitors to these original cultural centres, we are in effect transforming our cities into museums of the past.

I suggest that towns now provide the elements of work, locality and community that will be more sustainable as gathering places and for cultural endeavours. Architecture can achieve so much; what it often doesn’t address is the ultimate purpose.
Felicity McGowan
Cardigan, Ceredigion

Keep Scotland in the UK

We may believe that national pride is a good thing and, indeed, over the years, it may have driven people to sacrifice, work harder, fight and care (“Ignoring the will of the Scots would be an act worthy of Trump”, Nicola Sturgeon, Comment). But if national pride is promoted ahead of the national interest, this becomes a conflict. No one can dispute that Scotland is a separate country from England and this gives each country independence and something to be proud of. To automatically assume that independence should extend to membership of the United Kingdom is where we start to work against the country’s national interest; this applies to Scotland and England alike.

There are numerous situations where the independence of Scotland will weaken both our countries – for example, defence, economy, the fight against pandemics, and so the list goes on. In this week’s Scottish elections, let’s hope that our Scottish friends will swallow their pride in favour of the nation’s interests.
Stephen Boyt
Sandbach, Cheshire

Envy of the world no more

I was lucky enough to head a British embassy in an east European state emerging from communism during the 1970s and 80s.

It was a happy time to be there. We were told how much the UK was admired for its democracy and its open society and economy, free of the repression, unfair privilege and corrosive corruption of the system from which the host country was hoping at last to free itself.

We were envied for being citizens of a state governed by honest ministers who were advised by a civil service of the utmost probity, and we were bombarded with requests for help and advice on how to develop institutions that would bring their country up to the perceived high standards of the UK.

It is hard to believe that much, if any of this admiration remains, given our current shameful predicament (“This ‘vacuum of integrity’ fails every test of public life”, Editorial). How can we have allowed that international status which generated so much “soft power” to be thrown away by so second-rate, even corrupt, a government?
Richard Thomas
Wye, Kent

Sex and the older woman

I loved Rankin’s pictures and am so pleased to see older sexuality receiving some attention (“Love in an old climate: posters celebrate the joy of sex in later life”, News).

Contrary to popular belief, we don’t all become invisible in middle age and it is also possible for single, obese women in their 60s to find wonderful sexual partners of all ages. As a happily single polyamorist, I have discovered age really can be just a number.
Suzee Moon
Aberkenfig, Bridgend

No benefits for the well off

I am in full agreement with Phillip Inman (“Blooming shame of benefits for wealthy boomers”, Business). Extra benefits should be curtailed once anyone receiving a state pension reaches the higher income tax level. No one on this level of income needs free NHS prescriptions, bus passes or £200 heating allowance. However, given the level of outrage engendered by the reintroduction of the TV licence fee, it will take a brave government to implement the withdrawal of any of the aforementioned.
Margaret Bridle
Seaford, East Sussex

Murder most foul

Vanessa Thorpe asserts that the murder of Thomas Becket was “for centuries… the world’s most notorious state-sanctioned murder” (‘Becket’s brutal murder reimagined”, News). I think Jesus and Pontius Pilate might beg to differ.
Alan Knight
Oxford

What about the fans?

Your editorial is correct that “football fans of all stripes” are united in believing “that the offshore owners of clubs ‘don’t understand our game’” (“Money will still dominate football. But there’s now hope of change”).

Clearly, the oligarchs, oil-state rulers and US billionaires don’t grasp that most traditional football supporters, like me, love following the existing bitter, historic and truly meaningful rivalries between clubs from the same national leagues. We don’t want to watch endless shiny, but soulless pan-European “glamour” fixtures.

Sadly, however, the collapse of the European Super League has been a short-term victory for ordinary followers. In the long run, little will change. As John Barnes rightly says: “It’s just a question of who’s going to exploit [fans]. Now that the ESL is not going to exploit them, it will be the same old guard – Fifa, Uefa, the Premier League and the big clubs.”
Joe McCarthy
Dublin

New buyers beware

Government support for homeowners? “Generation buy” beware (“Will new 95% mortgage scheme give ‘generation rent’ keys to the future?”, Cash). The last generation of new buyers often bought flats, encouraged by government-backed shared ownership schemes. Many of these flats are now worthless after this government’s inept handling of the cladding scandal, post-Grenfell. This broken first rung of the housing ladder will not be fixed any time soon and this generation of homeowners is being hung out to dry. Beware that the same doesn’t happen to you.
Lynne Hamshaw
Frithville, Boston
Lincolnshire

Fish, cakes and Brexit

It is difficult to feel much sympathy for the Cornish fishermen (“‘It’s a betrayal’: Cornish fishing vote turns against Tories over Brexit deal”, News).

Economic and political history is littered with those who hated sharing the cake, demanded the whole cake and ended up with not much cake at all. Our fishermen “betrayed” themselves because they refused to listen to those who told them the exact consequences for their industry if Brexit went ahead.
Andrew Elliott
Onchan, Isle of Man

Naughty but nice

I cannot agree with the headline given to Barbara Ellen’s recent article (“Thanks, Jim Steinman and Les McKeown, for reminding us that the best pop is pure fantasy”, Comment). Much of the best pop is impure fantasy.
John Clements
Little Melton, Norwich



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