Letters: Today’s celebrity ‘guest editors’ are an insult to hard-working BBC staff

SIR – I spent nearly 30 years at the BBC, mainly in an editorial role in the radio newsroom – which included the night we joined the Common Market – later on Today, Radio 1, Radio 4 and in news management.

If “guest editors” including Lord Botham and Jamie Oliver had been suggested, especially when I was deputy editor on Today, I would have had to resign or take annual leave. It is an insult to the editorial staff, especially those on the lower levels who might one day hope to edit a programme.

After all, many of us would love to be a guest speaker of the House of Commons, guest chancellor of the Exchequer or even guest manager of Arsenal or Manchester United. In the latter role, I personally could rant and rave at the referee and the opposition with the best (or worst) of them.

However, these posts are fortunately left to the professionals. Why can’t the BBC be the same?

Alan Ashton
Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire

SIR – In the 1980s the television channels used to make an effort at Christmas. As a result, I often bought a blank tape or two for the video recorder to save a film or other programme that, in pre-streaming days I might have missed.

What a waste of money that turned out to be. Those same programmes are still stuffing out the schedules today, interspersed only with game shows and soap operas whose formats and plots would have been familiar, and stale, to my long-deceased parents.

Is there any originality to be found on the free public service channels anymore? If so, I have failed to find it.

Christopher Thompson
Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire

SIR – My wife and I watched The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse on BBC 1 (review, December 25) and it was the best Christmas treat we have had for years.

This short film should be essential viewing for adults and children and adults, and should have us all thinking more about others and less about ourselves. The fact that it had two 60-sixtysomethings sobbing by the end showed its impact.

Ray Powell
Shefford, Bedfordshire

SIR – What a shame your columnists find Christmas such a trial and how sad that so few seem to enjoy the company of others. “Saturday” on December 24 was all about “survival”, “pressure”, “anxiety”, “killing relatives”, “you’re knackered” and “avoiding the blues”.

I hope they rose above their negativity and were, after all, able to share in the reciprocal enjoyment that many of us experience at this time.

Vivienne King
Ipswich, Suffolk

SIR – Christmas Day television proved to be as boring offering as usual. Thankfully, I had two days’ worth of Daily Telegraphs to keep me entertained on the special day.

Dominic Shelmerdine
London SW3

Bittersweet realities

SIR – Lt Col Julian Crowe’s comment (Letters, December 26), about last buying Bendicks Bittermints 30 years ago and being disappointed with the quality of today’s offering, reminded me of one of our customers who claimed to be “a regular”. However, his conversation showed he had last been in our shop in 1947. Similarly, people proudly tell me how they support our local pub, then it turns out that they visit once every year on their wedding anniversary.

We have had many customers who bought their oysters and smoked salmon only at Christmas, but expected the fishmongers to be there year after year. Perhaps if Lt Col Crowe had bought his bittermints more regularly, the manufacturers could afford to return to better quality.

Elizabeth Jones
Buckland St Mary, Somerset

SIR – I am sorry that Lt Col Crowe was disappointed by his bittermints, but he should not be surprised that the manufacturer is cutting costs if people buy them only once or twice in a lifetime.

Lionel Anderson
Peniscola, Castellon, Spain

Happy accidents

SIR – Living in my first flat, I had occasion to visit Bill, a retired naval commander on the floor above. A delightful man, he invited me in and said: “You are just in time.” (Letters, December 22.) It was 11am and sherry was served.

Whenever I subsequently visited, which was often, I was delighted to be just in time: 1pm was white wine, 4pm sherry, 5pm red wine, 6pm pink gin (my favourite) and whisky after. “Chippy, chippy” was always the toast.

John Hopkins
Beckenham, Kent

SIR – A great aunt, who was absolutely teetotal, was asked one Christmas Day if she would like a second helping of Christmas pudding. “No thank you,” she replied, “but I would like a second helping of the white sauce.” It was laced with brandy, so I imagine her afternoon nap was quite lengthy.

Janice Clay
Haslemere, Surrey

Festive delight

SIR – Finally, the perfect Christmas presents (Features, December 23): four pairs of socks and a bottle of port.

Bernard Kerrison
London SW4

The case for Ulez

SIR – As health experts and professionals with many years’ combined experience studying the impact of air pollution on patients, we are in full support of extending the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to cover the whole of London (report, December 25).

Getting the most polluting vehicles off the roads, as well as providing financial support for those who need it to make this transition, is one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions from road transport and improve air quality. This is what the Ulez does.

The UK has the highest death rate from lung conditions in Western Europe, and London’s toxic air is firmly at the heart of this crisis.

Air pollution across the capital is still breaching legal limits and it far exceeds safer World Health Organisation guidelines. In 2019, toxic air contributed to more than 4,000 premature deaths in London. The highest number of premature deaths each year due to toxic air is in outer London boroughs such as Barnet, Bromley and Croydon, which the Ulez does not currently cover.

Improving air quality will also help to reduce health inequities. Research has shown that children living in the most polluted areas of London develop smaller lungs, and an increasing body of evidence shows the link between breathing in toxic air and developing heart disease, lung disease and dementia.

Bold action is needed now to tackle the huge health burden of air pollution, and we commend the Mayor of London for taking this important step.

Kevin Fenton
President, Faculty of Public Health
Sarah Woolnough
Chief executive, Asthma and Lung UK
Martin Machray
NHS England, London
Dr Josephine Sauvage
Sustainability Network NHS England
Professor Stephen Holgate
Special adviser on air quality, Royal College of Physicians
Professor Frank J Kelly
Imperial College London
Dr Richard Smith
Chair of UK Health Alliance for Climate Change
Ruth Hutt, Dr Dagmar Zeuner and Dr Catherine Mbema
Chair and Vice Chairs of the London Association of Directors of Public Health 
Dr Michelle Drage
Chief Executive, Londonwide LMCs 
Dr Claire Greszczuk
Interim Deputy Director of Public Health, London Borough of Newham 
Dr Mark Harber
Consultant Nephrologist and Associate Professor UCLy
Dr Mark Hayden
Paediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Consultant, London
Dr Laura-Jane Smith
Consultant Respiratory Physician, King’s College Hospital London
Dr Johanna Feary
Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Imperial College London
Dr Jeeves Wijesuriya
GP, Co-chair North East London Faculty of the RCGP
Dr Tamsin Ellis
GP, Co-Chair Greener Practice, Associate Centre for Sustainable Healthcare  
Dr Jackie Applebee 
GP Tower Hamlets and Chair of Doctors in Unite
Dr Sharon Christy 
GP, Greener Practice North London Co-Chair
Dr Anna Moore
Respiratory doctor, Barts 
Dr Emma Radcliffe
General Practitioner, Tower Hamlets 
Dr Veena Aggarwal
GP Registrar, RCGP South London Sustainability

Tom Watson atones

SIR – The former Labour deputy leader’s words of remorse in his maiden speech in the Lords (“Tom Watson apologises for pushing false sex abuse claims against Lord Brittan”, report, December 22) struck the right note.

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest’s many merits include admiration of Stanley Baldwin, who coined the phrase “one-nationism”. He now promises to champion police reform on a cross-party basis. It is a subject I have raised several times, with strong support from his Labour colleagues, and he must now join us.

Our target is the Home Office, which must, among other things, give Sir Mark Rowley the extra powers he needs to purge the Met of corrupt and underperforming officers, and end the astonishing state of affairs that permits a former chief constable, facing a gross misconduct hearing after a damning independent report, to retain a senior police role. I hope Mr Watson’s apology will be noted on the episcopal benches of the Lords.

Lord Lexden
London SW1

Artisan ace

SIR – While we are great fans of oatcakes from Adamsons of Pittenweem and the Stag Bakeries of Stornoway, the only great vehicle for cheese is a good artisan bread (Letters, December 24).

Alasdair HM Adam
Dollar, Clackmannanshire

Let’s have high hopes for King Charles’s reign

SIR – Not once did King Charles mention sustainability in his first Christmas broadcast. I was so very relieved. Instead, he was eloquent and uncontroversial. I was pleasantly surprised that he is following in his mother’s footsteps.

Christopher Hunt
Swanley, Kent

SIR – It seems some were concerned that King Charles failed to make a comment about Prince Harry and his wife in his speech (“The King’s silence on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex sends a powerful message”, report, December 26).

I suggest, instead, they should direct their concern to the people with the problems to which he did refer. Particularly the Ukrainians in their own country and here with us.

Peter Dimery
Newport, Monmouthshire

Cards help keep the remotest friendships alive

SIR – We moved many times in our life as my husband was a civil engineer, and made good friends at every home.

Cards at Christmas (Letters, December 23) have always been a very welcome way of keeping in touch and hearing important news. I would hate my house to be bereft of them at this time of year. They remind me of old friends, especially an American we hosted more than 30 years ago when she was singing in a choir.

Jacqueline Davies
Norton, Kent

SIR – As a young staff nurse in the early 1980s, working on a surgical ward I nursed an elderly patient for four months. His wife could not travel, so the ward telephone was a vital source of comfort for them both, and, at my patient’s insistence, I would discuss his care with her.

After my patient’s return home we received a thank you letter from his wife and news of his death. I replied, passing on our condolences, and this was the start of a rewarding 30-year Christmas card correspondence that was not hindered by a 40-year age gap or never meeting in person.

Jane Bradwell
Twickenham, Middlesex

SIR – While serving in Hong Kong in 1988, I bought my then girlfriend a pearl necklace. Ever since, for 34 years, the jewellers, Winnie and Tony, have sent me a Christmas card.

I hope the necklace, wherever it may be, has lasted as long as their heroic commitment to customer goodwill.

Michael McGinty
Pinner, Middlesex

SIR – Although I don’t celebrate Christmas, colleagues at work insisted on sending me cards. I kept then returned them the following year with the “to” and “from” reversed. Some of them saw the funny side of it.

Bill Ashton
Stockport, Cheshire

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