Mind control

WHAT is it with our schools? First of all, they weren’t allowed a special ‘best friend’, only groups. Now, at my grandson’s school in Kent, the words ‘ boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ are taboo.

When he and two friends were heard saying these words, they were kept in class. They’re eight years old. Is this brainwashing?

B. WHITE, London SE9.

Water spoilt

I THINK we’re all a little bit spoilt as far as water is concerned. In the late Sixties, my husband was posted to Malaya with the Army and and the family accompanied him.

During that time there was a severe drought but it rained for about half an hour at tea time and we used to peg out the Army ponchos and any thing else suitable to catch the rain.

This rain water was given to the amah to do the daily washing of clothes.

The water was turned on from the mains for one hour only in the morning and evening. This water resembled tomato soup and had to be filterered, using an Army filter bag, hoping to get sufficient to fill the small zinc tub. The baby had her bath first, then our toddler son, then our six-yearold daughter, my turn was next, then poor dad had the last dip.

The toilets were flushed and cleaned in the evening. Drinking water came round daily in the Army tankers, and we were allowed only one container full.

We did survive and lived to tell the tale.

I’ve always been careful with water ever since.

DOROTHY CASEY, Bournemouth, Dorset.

Gold diggers needed!

I’VE calculated that if you had two JCBS in position with long reach-backs and buckets, one at Gretna and one on the east coast between Lamberton and Berwick-on-tweed, they could start digging towards each other, following the border between England and Scotland.

They would have to dig a trench as deep as possible, meeting in the middle. Then, you could affix an outboard motor to Scotland, start it up and Scotland could sail away and become independent.

I know the Scots would lose any oil rights but they could survive on salmond (with a line through the d) and sturgeon (female of the species) as some sort of deputy.