16 FEBRUARY 2002, Page 31

From Mr Ronald Cansler Sir: Excellent article on nervous and

nontravelling Americans. As an American tour operator, I am used to sending groups of 30 or 40 to England, but now am lucky to have 12 at a time. Americans, individually, seem the most timid people in the world; the good part is, they also have the shortest memories in the world — anything past about last month is 'history'. So they will be back — until the next shadow scares them.

Ronald Cansler

Columbus. Kansas, USA