14 NOVEMBER 1998, Page 37

Terms of endearment

Sir: I recently wrote a two-page handwrit- ten letter to the Prime Minister suggesting that we should all be proud of the Royal Opera House orchestra and chorus and their principal conductor. Their work estab- lishes London as one of the leading artistic centres of excellence in Europe and is cru- cial in the stimulation of tourism and the balance of payments. The Government should therefore support them. I received a one-line acknowledgement, headed 'Dear Sir/Madam' and addressed to The Occupier'.

now want to propose to the Prime Minis- ter that Bernard Haitink, KBE, should, like Yehudi Menuhin, be considered for a life Peerage. In these days of Cool Britannia, do I address my letter 'Dear Sir/Madam' to 'The Occupier', No. 10 Downing Street, SW1? David Hopkinson

St John's Priory, Poling, Sussex