15 SEPTEMBER 1990, Page 30

Arabyman

Sir: Hildry Mantel paints a picture ol `Gulfman' which is obviously based on her 'four years' expatriate life in Jeddah'. Unfortunately, it has little to do with the Gulf, which is the whole Arabian penin- sula away and is about a completely different species called 'Red Seaman'. I can only hope that her knowledge of what she reviews is more accurate than her (and your) geography for, to use a British analogy, she has written an article about the Friends of the Royal Opera House by giving them the attributes of English foot- ball supporters — or members of the National and Decorative Fine Arts Society the attributes of property developers.

Nigel Freeman

75 Mangrove Bay Road, Sandy's, Bermuda