Splish, splash, splosh

SIR – Kirstie Allsopp is quite wrong to suggest that the washing machine has no place in the kitchen (report, July 12).

Nothing could be more soothing than to have an informal dinner party in the kitchen with the sound of the washing machine throbbing away.

This, followed by the excitable spinning of the tumble drier, not only drowns out any political chatter (too painful at the moment), but also means there is no need to choose any music. Peter Boyle

Whitchurch, Shropshire