Seeing the damage that Elon Musk has done to his Twitter brand in such a short time brings to mind the example of Gerald Ratner when, 30 years ago, he described some of his products as “total crap” and remarked that one set of Ratners earrings were cheaper than an M&S prawn sandwich, but probably would not last as long.
Graham Sowter
Langho, Lancashire
• Kirsty Major’s article on accents (Can you ‘lose’ an accent? And more importantly, why would you want to?, 3 November) reminded me of an eight-year-old southern cousin visiting his counterpart in Yorkshire. Sitting in the kitchen playing I Spy, the Yorkshire lad says: “I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with T.” The southern cousin guesses: “Table?” “No.” “Teacup?” “No.” “Teapot?” “No.” “OK, I give in.” The Yorkshire lad replies: “T’oven!”
Mick McKeown
Windermere, Cumbria
• So Gavin Williamson is alleged to have told a civil servant to “jump out of the window” (Report, 7 November). Is now the time for this cabinet minister’s defenestration at the hands of Rishi Sunak?
Rob Davies
Pontesbury, Shropshire
• What better illustration could there be of the need to abolish our absurd (and arguably corrupt) honours system than the ennoblement of Gavin Williamson?
Marin Murphy
York
• In your Wordsearch on the theme of bosses (print edition of 8 November), I couldn’t find the word “editor”. Would the compiler like some simple advice about career advancement?
Richard O’Brien
Highbridge, Somerset
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