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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment

Vanessa’s a pillar of the hiking community

Woman hiking in the Scottish Highlands
Margaret Squires was never less than half exhausted when she came across a Vanessa trig point. Photograph: Alamy

Your report (Campaigners seek listed status for historic trig points that mapped Britain, 16 April) didn’t mention the Vanessa trig point – Vanessa being a corruption of the Venesta company, which made cardboard tubes into which the concrete for the pillars was poured. These were designed for less accessible places, mostly in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. I was never less than half exhausted when I met one.
Margaret Squires
St Andrews, Fife

• Who knew Yes Minister was a documentary (Letters, 19 April)? My friend Graham Fortune did. He was a New Zealand public servant and diplomat. On their first day working for the public service, he would tell new recruits to watch the programme as an essential part of their training.
Penelope Horner
Whitchurch, Hampshire

• If my memory is correct, while I was serving in the Royal Navy in the 1960s, the sheets of Izal toilet paper (Letters, 17 April) provided had “HM Government Only” printed on them. I remember being delighted at being to wipe my bum on the government.
Gareth Davies
Ellington, Northumberland

• It was good to see a flyer for environmentally friendly loo roll falling out of my Guardian last Friday – only slightly undermined by there being three copies of it.
Steven Burkeman
York

• There are 15,481 people for each public toilet in England (Report, 20 April)? With my prostate playing up these days, I just hope that they tolerate queue-jumpers.
Prof Gareth Williams
Rockhampton, Gloucestershire

• 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.

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