My late-night dash for Festival of Britain relay

RE: Jack Kerr’s letter (June 22) about the Festival of Britain 1951.

I was in the Boys’ Brigade at the time, and the messages were sent to the King from different parts of the country to arrive at the same time at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, May 10, 1951.

This was done in relay (day and night) and I was one who took part in the message which came through Coventry late at night. I ran from the top of Gibbet Hill to Kenilworth Clock at 4.30am. From there the baton was passed over on its way to Banbury.

I was 17 years old at the time, a member of the 3rd Coventry Boys’ Brigade and lived in Read Street, Coventry. Brian I Wilson Coundon

Revived Labour will look after all

REPLYING to Paul Blundell (Letters, July 4). Of course we knew Blair’s red Tories made these deals to build hospitals and schools. After 18 years of the Tories running both into the ground they were required to act quickly. While I agree the people who negotiated these contracts were taken for mugs, Jeremy Corbyn and the revived Labour Party will in due time address these problems. We will have a proper Labour government for everyone. William Allen Tile Hill

Surprise seat by the Queen

I WAS looking at the photo in last Friday’s edition of the Telegraph. It reminded me that, at that time, I was working in the health authority and my main job in the months before the official opening of Walsgrave Hospital (the old one, not the present one) was to make arrangements for the invitations to be sent out (in consultation with an administrator in Birmingham), and to set out the seating arrangements for the opening day.

Just prior to the end of June, there had been a general election and the health minister of the previous government had received an invitation, but had been ousted from his job. Because of this, there would be an empty seat on the front row and, to my surprise, I was asked to fill the seat.

It was a beautiful day and the Queen was in yellow. She toured the hospital after the official opening, meeting doctors and nurses and other staff. It was a very long day for me and my boss, but one I shall never forget. Name and address supplied

Game-changer for university learning

INTERESTING news that Coventry University has linked up with FutureLearn for global studies to provide online pay-as-you-go degrees. This will be a catalyst to revolutionise university learning.

What will happen to all these high-rise buildings being built for student accommodation? Fred Foster Radford