Readers have written in response to recent articles in the Guardian, covering topics from tennis player Arthur Fery's height to the cost of seeing the Bayeux tapestry.
Arthur Fery's stature questioned
Derek Carline of Chorlton, Manchester, challenged the description of 5ft 9in Arthur Fery as of “diminutive stature” in a Wimbledon report. He notes that Lionel Messi, at 5ft 7in, is shorter but never called diminutive, and past Wimbledon winners Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver were of similar height. Carline, himself 5ft 4in, concludes, “Diminutive? You cannot be serious.”
Fifa orange card proposal
Dr Colin Bannon of Crapstone, Devon, suggests introducing an “orange card” for players sent off who have friends in high places, referencing Donald Trump’s interference in Folarin Balogun’s red card review at the World Cup.
Decoding reading methods
Dr Roger Merry of Farmborough, Somerset, who learned to read in the mid-1940s, questions the term “basic decoding and automaticity” used in a previous letter. Now 85, he asks, “What on earth is it? How do I explain it to my grandchildren?”
Memory test challenges
Ann Parsons of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, notes that doctors administering standard memory tests for dementia must be alarmed by the growing number of patients who cannot name the current prime minister. Siobhán Ní Chuanaigh of Clonskeagh, Dublin, adds that after weeks of letters on memory tests, she feels “pretty much coached and prepared for the challenge when it arises.”
Bayeux tapestry pricing
Mike Jones of Exeter compares the cost of seeing the Bayeux tapestry: last year he paid under £10 in Bayeux, while the London price is £33. He blames Brexit for the difference.
