13 OCTOBER 2007, Page 19

Behind the Times

Sir: Frank Keating (6 October) is as always informative, entertaining and interesting, even to someone indifferent to sport. He might be interested to know, however, that if Peter Cook's father in colonial Africa read his newspapers in date order, one a day, he may have been following Mr Warburton in Maugham's 'The Outstation'. Warburton reads the Times on weekdays and the Observer on Sundays, exactly six weeks after the date of publication, and is driven to, in effect, condone the murder of an assistant who unwraps his papers ahead of time. Perhaps this practice (opening newspapers in order, not condoning murder) was common in colonial outposts? I'm sure your readers can tell us.

Ron Farquhar London SW19