24 MARCH 2007, Page 24

Give him enough Roper ...

Sir: Emma Tennant’s letter on 17 March reminds me of a further retort by my uncle, John Scott, to Hugh Trevor-Roper. This occurred on the hunting field, when John greeted the professor with, ‘Morning, Roper.’ Again the reply was, ‘My name is TrevorRoper,’ to which John replied, ‘My dear fellow, I don’t know you nearly well enough to call you Trevor!’ Charles Bell Evanton, Ross-shire