A brief encounter with the classics

While being prepared for gallbladder surgery in the Royal Liverpool hospital (Letters, 21 March), a Scouse theatre nurse introduced himself as Gary, and asked if I liked Tchaikovsky. He promised to play his music as I went into the operating theatre, “to calm you down, like”. When the time came, though drowsy from the pre-op injection, I heard Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2. “Rachmaninov,” I mumbled. The reply came from behind a mask: “No, mate, it’s Gary. You’ll be OK.” I was.
Rev Nicholas Frayling
Southsea, Portsmouth

• Never mind all the fuss about changing the colour of the cross on the England football shirt (‘Playful update’ to national debate: England kit has begun a culture war, 22 March). Why is nobody kicking up a fuss about the outrageous cost of £125! Nike must be smiling all the way to the bank.
Linda Theobald
London

• After reading Claire Stares’ delightful Country Diary (22 March), I recalled a similar encounter. Spotting a large orange-breasted bird and Googling it did not return the expected search results.
Ian Garner
Keighley, West Yorkshire

• White bread makes the best eggy bread (Letters, 21 March)? Sorry to exacerbate the “class” side of this discussion, but panettone eggy bread is peerless.
Simon Beavington-Penney
Corsham, Wiltshire

• Re your fantasy house hunt (Dream homes for first-time buyers in England – in pictures, 22 March), a more realistic version for most young people would be “In your dreams starter homes”.
Pete Lavender
Woodthorpe, Nottinghamshire

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