17 APRIL 1993, Page 20

Nobility defined

Sir: I was interested to read Nigel Nicol- son's column of 13 March, in which he said that Nicholas Ridley's action in pouring steaming coffee over Mr Nicolson was `nobler than if he had simply called [him] an ignorant fool and turned away to help himself to kedgeree'.

By that measure, Dr Theodore Dalrym- ple, in his prison visits, probably has more contact with the nobility than any other non-prison doctor in England,. the Queen included.

E.B. Messer

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