2 JUNE 1984, Page 19

French leave

Sir: 'Do you realise that in France they have however-many-it-is more public holidays than we do?' hears Alan Watkins at dinner parties and in saloon bars (Diary, 12 May). Please can we lay this canard once and for all? The French have however-many-it-is less than we think they do, for whenever their public holidays fall on a weekend they do not, like us, have days in lieu. So we each have however-many-it-is, more or less the same number.

Christopher Maycock

The Court, Neopardy, Crediton, Devon