Nonsense, by jingo!

I ATTENDED the annual meeting of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes and, unlike Dr Jag Picknett, did not find the finale to be ‘ pompous, racist or jingoistic’ (Mail).

The songs we sang are belted out every year at the Last Night Of The Proms, and I left feeling uplifted having had a jolly good sing. I think Dr Picknett was being over-sensitive. SUE FULLER, Fordingbridge, Hants. LIKE Dr Picknett, I am a second generation, educated, confident immigrant to this country. Although I am not a WI member, I do believe they hold values that have made, and still make, this a great country.

I suggest to Dr Picknett that if her values are different, leave and stop criticising an organisation that has done so much good over the years with their wonderful, joyful and British way of doing things.

DANUTA BURLEY, London W5.

I WAS surprised to see the WI members needed the lyrics of Land Of Hope And Glory to be projected on a screen. Surely they are patriotic enough to know the words without any help. MORFUDD JONES, address supplied.