Surprise, Surprise

Sir: I am not sure that you are right in condemning the use of 'surprise' as an adjective (Diary, 3 August). Does it not have a distinct meaning of its own, suggest- ing that......

Hunt The Aunt

Sir: Regarding Bertie Wooster's aunts, Nick Hobart (Competition, 3 August) has got it wrong. Aunt Dahlia hunts, Aunt Agatha does not. Maritz Vandenberg 21a Gwendolen Avenue,......

Summer Retreats

Sir: Paul Johnson writes (27 July) that 'the recent restructuring of the Independent . . . was decided regardless of what the staff felt and with only the feeblest of protests'.......

Pen Friends

Sir: Is not Mary Killen another pseudonym of the author of the Wallace Arnold column? The imitation of familiar sources is achieved with an equal ration of merit by both. B. A.......

Greek To Him

Sir: Following the discovery of a reference . in Aeschylus to the misfortunes of the previous Member for Billericay, which you kindly printed a year or two ago, may I offer you......

Letters Canton And On

Sir: Who is Caroline Sinclair and how long has she been in Switzerland? (The secret! police state', 27 July). Or, perhaps more to the point, how much has she learnt about the......

We Are Happy To Point Out That Caroline Sinclair, Author

of the article 'The secret police state' (published 27 July) is not the same Caroline Sinclair who has since 1984 been Honorary Secretary of the British Residents' Association......