How to look sharp when wielding a scythe
sir – Hopefully gardeners won’t take to scything their lawns in the manner depicted by Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark (report, October 8). If they do, there will be lots of sore backs, as he was bending too far.
Much better to take as their example the very fine demonstration of scything in the film Anna Karenina, where the young Russians harvested a field of corn. All were perfectly upright with straight backs. A side-to-side rotation of the torso is the correct way.
Catriona Monro
Ballindalloch, Banffshire