13 JULY 1991, Page 24

Punch drunk

Sir: John Mortimer will be relieved to hear that reports in the Guardian describing my desire to make Punch `mega', `mega- mega', 'hip', 'trendy' or 'hot' have been considerably exaggerated (Diary, 29 June). My actual point was that it would be a great joke if one could persuade fashion-

LETTERS

able people that Punch — of all magazines — was any of those things. Mr Mortimer may be further reassured that Mr Punch will always regard trendy opinions as worthy of satire, rather than emulation. Should I, for example, be confronted by the sight of a plump, rich, middle-aged playwright mouthing fashion- able left-wing platitudes, I would know exactly what to do.

David Thomas Editor,

Punch, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London SEt