I’m confused. Is the £8m that Polly Toynbee reports is being spent by the government to send an “oak-framed portrait of the king” to every school going to encourage pupils to attend or have the reverse effect (Too many pupils miss lessons, says Ofsted, and that’s right. Call it the Michael Gove effect, 28 November)?
Nick Broadhead
Liverpool
Was it coincidental that the picture accompanying the article about the discovery of Viagra in your print edition featured a food van with a sign saying “Jumbo Sausages” (2 December)? I think not.
Prof Dominic Regan
Bath
James Dyson must be upset that he has lost his libel case against Mirror Group Newspapers (Report, 1 December), but I’m sure he’d be the first to appreciate that these things don’t happen in a vacuum.
David Richards
Hong Kong
With reference to Meirion Bowen’s theory about the sources of mysterious hums (Letters, 1 December), and in defence of Karlheinz Stockhausen, it has been said of his music that it is not as bad as it sounds.
David Evans
Exeter
I too started to experience a low-frequency two-tone hum in bed at night. We have separate bedrooms now.
Brian Smith
Berlin, Germany
“Chip’s & Fishe’s” is the name of a Kenilworth fish and chip shop. I have always assumed it was meant to be a joke, but now I wonder (Letters, 1 December).
Veronica Cutler
Kenilworth, Warwickshire