22 AUGUST 1998, Page 23

Ship of state

Sir: Robert Taylor (`Grand Tour opera- tors', 15 August) did not mention the most remarkable of all prime ministerial holi- days. Lord Rosebery spent the entire gen- eral election of 1895 on his yacht, cruising around Scotland. At each port a boat would be sent in for fresh provisions. It would return with the provisions and news of fresh Liberal disaster.

Robert Davies

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