26 DECEMBER 1970, Page 20

Beauman bash

Sir: Readers of the SPECTATOR ,should be informed that Sally Beauman's description of the novels of Nina Bawden (12 December) as 'bad books . . . of a slushy romantic nature' is ignorant rub- bish. It is a fact—not a matter of opinion—that Miss Bawden's novels are sharply observed, real- istic, intelligent and crisply written.