Remake The Dam Busters? Today’s stars aren’t up to it
The points historian Andrew Roberts makes in his piece Damn Madness about The Dam Busters film remake (Mail), echo what I have been saying for some time.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. For one thing we do not have the actors of the quality available in 1955, many of whom had served in the war and knew how to wear a uniform. And remaking the film in colour would spoil its drama, which it had in black and white.
I spent two days with Barnes Wallis (inventor of the bouncing bomb) in 1978, so I know how well Michael Redgrave played the part, and Richard Todd as Wing Commander Guy Gibson is as good as one will get.
Composer eric Coates had been approached to write the whole score, but was advised not to by Sir edward elgar. however, Coates did offer one piece he had written a few days earlier, and it became the most famous war theme ever. The rest of the score was written by Leighton Lucas, who also wrote the score for Ice Cold In Alex.
One small error in Mr Roberts’s excellent piece was that Group Captain John Whitworth, played by Derek Farr in the film, was never a member of 617 Squadron, but the station commander of RAF Scampton in May 1943.
ALAN COOPER, author of The Dam Buster Raid: A Reappraisal 70 Years On,
Hailsham, Sussex.
Called to account
The most recent set of annual accounts for the collapsed Kids’ Company, (2013-14), signed off by the BBC’s Alan Yentob, the charity’s chairman and its ‘statutory’ auditors, presents a confusing picture of assets and liabilities, made more impenetrable by a series of money transfers. Mr Yentob and Camila Batmanghelidjh, the PM’s inappropriate disciple of his Big Society, should be asked to shed more light on how the accounting figures for 2013-14 and subsequent period were arrived at.
They should be called to account for the £40 million — £37 million in the past year — the charity has received overall, including the £3 million of taxpayers’ money for ‘restructuring’ authorised by David Cameron against the advice of a senior civil servant, days before the charity ran out of money.
Without complete transparency about how this disaster, which will affect the 36,000 children who have depended on it, was allowed to occur, charitable donations across the UK will fall, leading to increased social hardship.
JOHN BARKER, Prestbury, Cheshire. SURELY the Kids Company charity would be a better investment than most of the billions wasted in our Overseas Aid budget. Charity really should start at home! EDWARD LA COSTE,
Lamberhurst, Kent.
How to apologise
SARAH VINE was quite right to criticise the Seventies’ sexism of my erotic how-to book for women how To Drive Your Man Wild in Bed (Mail).
It sold two million copies and is still selling, but I wrote then that women had more than the ability to cook, crochet and take shorthand. I am contrite. One of my former girlfriends is now a published novelist, another runs a major water and sewerage company in Poland, and yet another is an expert in satellite technology. I promise to correct later editions accordingly. GRAHAM MASTERTON,
Tadworth, Surrey.
Travellers’ cruelty
I WAS almost puce with anger when I read of the actions of a traveller who beat his horse until it fell to the ground. The actions of the magistrate were equally heinous in her complicity with this criminal.
Some travellers have no affection for their animals.
While visiting a seaside resort on the South Coast, I asked a traveller why he had tethered his horse to a lamppost with about 18in of rope and then stayed in the pub for five hours. I did not get an answer.
Near where I live a group of horses are left to fend for themselves on the worst ground imaginable. There is no shelter, no grass for them, nothing, just building wasteland. If we are to be a civilised society, there has to be the same rule for all of us, not just one rule for us and another for travellers.
Name supplied, Surrey. The fact that some apparent bully has beaten his horse to the ground is enough to make a grown man cry. I am disgusted by the cruelty with which the poor, defenceless horse was treated and feel this man should be made to acknowledge his dreadful behaviour properly in a way that will really have some effect on him. he should never be allowed to own a horse, nor any other animal again.
Instead, a mockery is made of the judicial system, proving yet again that the law in this country can indeed be ‘an ass’. Unbelievably, the magistrate has allowed this man to walk free from court and allowed him to keep his horses!
If that man now tries to hurt another unfortunate creature, the magistrate must share the blame.
KRYSTYNA DEEGAN, Sutton Coldfield, West Mids. I HOPE the people of Darlington give Jill Richardson her marching orders. She is not fit to be a magistrate and should stand down immediately. The RSPCA works tirelessly to bring people like this traveller to court, yet time and time again we see them walk away.
SUSAN SHAW, Stockport, Cheshire.
Jet age rage
I TOTALLY agree with Amanda Platell that ‘ screaming brats’ should be banned from flights (Mail). every time I fly, I seem to have some child sitting close to me who wants to wail for ever.
You give the parent a pleading look and they stare at you as if you are a three-headed monster. ‘Stop picking on my Johnny.’ If airlines want to attract families with young children, they should provide a soundproofed, sectioned-off part of the plane for them.
PAUL JOHN, Pembrokeshire.
Man up, Dave
We LeARN that the French are offering free railway travel for illegal immigrants from the French/Italian border to Calais (Mail) and will be encouraged to dispose of any ID they may have and plead homosexuality as a sure means of entry into the UK.
What is ‘Cool’ Dave’s response? Send a roll of barbed wire and a couple of sniffer dogs.
DEREK ROWLAND, Newport, Pembs.
Multi-tasking moron
I GOT a close- up view of a young male driver who passed in front of me at around 7.30am. he was holding a large white mug of tea in his right hand, with the little finger curled round the steering wheel.
The left hand was clutching the mobile phone that he was using, plus the cigarette that he was enjoying with his cup of char.
If I had indicated that he was an idiot for what he was doing, I don’t know where he would have found the finger(s) to stick up at me.
J. REED, Hartlepool.
On your bike!
DID anyone else feel sorry for Barry Carroll, who had to walk a whole mile to get to work due to the Ride London Free Cycle event (Letters)? Unless he is disabled, no wonder we have an obesity crisis.
BRIAN COBBOLD, Bromley, Kent.