WHEN my uncle Michael Foot died on March 3 it was comforting and very heartening to read so many articles about him, giving him credit in so many different parts of his life, from politics to his love of books and history and poetry.

And, not to be forgotten, his obsession with football, especially Plymouth Argyle.

After his wife died five years ago he would stay with us at Saltash or his other niece Allison at Dalwood, near Axminster, making sure not to miss any Argyle matches. It was always a treat to have him in the house, full of fun and enthusiasm.

All his nephews and nieces, including great-nephews, adored him, and I felt that no-one outside the family had appreciated what a magnificent uncle he was to us all.

He never had any children of his own, so he seemed to adopt us all, and when we were very young he was always ready to play games on the lawn at my grandfather's house at Callington, or spoil us with gifts and outings to the theatre or pantomimes in Plymouth. Although his health was frail and he suffered from asthma, he always seemed to make light of it.

My brother Paul was closest to him – despite the fact that they had the occasional friendly argument – and Paul's three sons all admired and loved him.

He was always interested in what we were up to, and when I first had a book published about the rivers of Cornwall he immediately wrote to me, addressing the letter "Sarah Foot (Author)", and from then on sent any mail in the same way.

His love of Cornwall and Plymouth was profound and he felt as at home here as in Pilgrims Lane, London. Whenever he was here he would love to go to Kit Hill and enjoy those panoramic views from the very top of the hill, or to go for a drive along Plymouth Hoe.

Sarah Foot

Saltash

Freedom for foxes

WHAT a contrast between two letters (WMN, March 2) about the Hunting Act.

Heidi Stephenson's letter was wonderful, full of compassion for these poor exploited creatures which, as she rightly points out, cannot speak for themselves and suffer terribly at human hands. Well done, Heidi – I wish we had more like you.

On the other side of the fence is Martin Bell, who says "I hate foxes" and can't wait to kill the one that has killed two of his hens recently.

Why has he not kept his hens securely locked up at night so that a fox cannot get at them, I ask? He is irresponsible. You can't blame the poor hungry fox for hunting to get a good meal; unlike Mr Bell it hasn't the good fortune of a hot meal put in front of it every night.

I hope he never catches the poor thing.

Mrs Angela Tregunna

Hayle

Conservative clues

FOLLOWING media coverage about councils, I would like to make the following comment.

With the Conservatives already in power in Torbay, Devon and Plymouth, we are able to see just how David Cameron's party would perform in government.

In Devon and Plymouth the Conservatives want to cut services by up to 15 per cent. In Torbay, despite record-breaking inflation-busting increases in external grants, they want to make cuts of up to 25 per cent.

Don't believe what they say, believe what they do.

Ian Doggett

Paignton

Racism in reverse

DAVID Cameron has repeatedly denounced racism, lower lip quivering with self-righteous fury, as "unacceptable", and said it must be "rooted out" of the Conservative Party and society in general.

Yet to obtain greater representation for minority groups in the Parliamentary party, he is urging local associations to discriminate between prospective candidates on grounds of ethnic origin, with those from a minority group to be favoured for adoption.

It seems, so determined is he to change the ethnic make-up of Tory MPs, that he is prepared to urge local committees to act in a discriminatory manner when selecting prospective candidates. Far from rooting out racism he is introducing "institutional racism" to these committees where, before, there had been, at most, informal racism.

As Harold Wilson famously remarked: one man's positive discrimination is another man's negative discrimination.

Unfortunately most party members, although they are doubtless accustomed to the double standards of "The Leader" in matters of "diversity", are far too well behaved to point it out publicly.

Former members need not be so inhibited.

A Romilly

Plymouth

Dubious forecasting

SO the Met Office has decided not to issue seasonal forecasts. May I suggest that it goes a stage further and ceases making all other forecasts as well?

When, by its own admission, it is unable to give an accurate forecast on a seasonal basis, how does it expect us to believe its long-term global warming predictions, especially when the data used has been manipulated and discredited?

Why are we paying for this? Surely the time has come to halt all expenditure for the glasshouse Met Office in Exeter, and the management of it.

David Morgans

South Molton