Gina Jacobs’ noble efforts to locate the remains of stillborn children (The woman helping families find where their stillborn children are buried, 11 May) brought to mind the Mortonhall baby ashes scandal in Edinburgh, where parents were lied to about the disposal of their babies’ remains. This led to a memorial garden at Mortonhall crematorium. It is very beautiful – a walled womb of water and plants. I urge people to visit it, to read the names and ponder the nature of life amid the sanctity of memory in these terrible times.
Jerry Peyton
Edinburgh
• I could not agree more that growing old is “a privilege denied to many” (Letters, 10 May). Even if confined to home, one can feed one’s mind with programmes such as Bronowski’s Ascent of Man, Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation or Radio 4’s Free Thinking. Life is enriched daily by the BBC. I would advise the young to look forward to older age. What are a few wrinkles compared with all this?
Liz Byrne
Letchworth, Hertfordshire
• Your editorial on audiobooks (10 May) left out the most obvious beneficiaries – blind and visually impaired people. Not all are able to read braille.
Sarah Carter
Canterbury
• A key defence contractor thinks the UK should spend more on buying anti-aircraft systems (Report, 12 May). Perhaps not the best source of advice.
Stephen Walkley
Swinford, Leicestershire
• Re Hilary Patrick “researching alternatives” to extra virgin olive oil (Letters, 12 May), may I ask how frying eggs in maple syrup went?
Wal Callaby
Ipswich, Suffolk
email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
