Claire Ratinon doesn’t need to dance round veg beds with a rake to deter moles (I’m proud of my wildlife-friendly patch, but I really don’t dig this mole, 8 September). Brush the soil off the molehill, find the mole hole and drop in a pickled onion. Cover up the hole and relax while the moles go to your neighbour’s garden. Children find this an entertaining thing to do, and it works.
Helen Keats
Brighstone, Isle of Wight
• In the correspondence sparked by Adrian Chiles (I love history programmes. But there’s one trend that makes my blood boil…, 6 September), the offending tense does not appear to have yet been described as the “historic present”, as it was when I was being taught grammar in the middle of the last century.
Hannah Kent
Kingston upon Thames, London
• Your report on England’s victory in the Rugby World Cup refers to “players who can step up when les frites are down” (10 September). Is this clever wordplay, or have you got the wrong sort of chips? The expression refers to chips in poker, the French for which is plaques.
Michael Bulley
Chalon-sur-Saône, France
• The prime minister described the leader of the opposition as Captain Hindsight at PMQs last week. Better that designation than government equivalent ranks, where Liz Truss’s Major Blunder has been succeeded by Rishi Sunak’s General Incompetence.
Dr Colin Smith
West Kirby, Merseyside
• In response to the query “Is the point in voting for Labour just to get rid of the Tories?” (5 September), it’s not the only point, but it’s not a bad start.
Martin Berman
Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
