19 DECEMBER 1992, page 58

Mothballs

Sir: As the man who won a round of applause for rescuing the Red Underwing moth in my local Chinese restaurant, I was very upset to read, in Isabel Wolff's 'Fifty years of......

Master Of Banality

Sir: It was cheering to read in Giles Auty's review (Arts, 28 November) that someone else pronounces 'banal' correctly: I thought I was the only one left. My Shorter Oxford......

1960 And All That

Sir: I regret that I did not see John Simp- son's 'The Irish Empire' article (21 Novem- ber), but I read four times Hugh Brogan's letter (5 December). How Mr Brogan can set......

Undeserving Poor

Sir: A short while ago, I placed an adver- tisement in the Scotsman offering employ- ment. As might be expected in a recession, I received a great many replies. Of these, a......

Smoking For Britain

Sir: Nicholas Farrell's piece about smoking (Passive Smoking: the big lie', 14 Novem- ber) overlooks the vital contribution made by smokers to the economy which goes well beyond......

Tyranny Of Taste

Sir: Giles Auty writes (Arts, 28 November) about the tyranny of taste forced upon us by the jury of the Turner Prize and others, and he ends his piece by asking the ques- tion,......