26 JULY 1997, Page 26

In praise of indulgence

Sir: I find David Fingleton a bit of a pompous prig. Unlike your correspondent Joanna Ritchie (Letters, 12 July), however, I would not be without his excellent restau- rant reviews. His account of his Parisian orgies was utterly captivating, and, as I shall be visiting Paris later in the year, useful and informative to boot. As I imagine that the starving millions in the Third World do not subscribe in large numbers to The Spectator, I hope you will continue to glori- fy Mr Fingleton's overindulgence with impunity.

Simon Bradbury

Wellington, New Zealand