Your report on the use by crows and magpies of anti-bird spikes for nesting material (11 July) reminded me of a pigeon’s nest I came across on the landing of a metal fire escape on the outside of a building in Brixton, London. It was made entirely of short strips of old red and black electrical wiring carefully constructed to form a circle. Seemingly more symbolic than functional, nevertheless it contained two eggs at its centre.
Alec Dick
Stokesley, North Yorkshire
• To all the tributes to Derek Malcolm should be added his support for film societies and community cinemas (Derek Malcolm, longtime Guardian film critic, dies aged 91, 16 July). As honorary president of Cinema for All since 1995, Derek was an inspiration to volunteers with his enthusiasm for and knowledge of world cinema.
Brian Clay
Vice-president, Cinema for All
• Why don’t they plant a row of trees by the side of the A303 so people can’t see Stonehenge? Then cars won’t slow down. It would be much cheaper (Stonehenge road tunnel plans approved by transport secretary, 14 July).
Elizabeth Goater
Salisbury
• From the Lord’s Prayer (Letters, 14 July) to the national anthem: our mum was a greengrocer, so we thought we were asking God to “send her Victorias” – those lovely late English plums.
Moira Hankinson
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
• In the early 70s, I used to pay £1.60 to watch Chelsea from a seat in the West Stand, equivalent to less than £20 today (Letters, 16 July).
Jenny Haynes
Horkstow, Lincolnshire
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