Thank you, Marcia, for correcting me. I have been away too long.

I should have looked that up before I spoke, but then I wouldn't have got a chance to talk to you. :)

Nor I, you.

Best,
Marcia

I see John Whitworth's letter is in today's Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle6244149.ece

I expect that will be the end of the correspondence since the paper has now published one view, an opposite opinion and John's even-handed summary (how very English of the paper...)

I was speaking to the Shakespearian actress Janet Suzman yesterday - how is THAT for a bit of name-dropping, and asked her what she thought about actors/poets reading verse. I put in my two pennyworth by saying that Shaakespearian-trained thespians like her good self... She said that the recordings she had heard of Tennyson, Eliot etc. were pretty dire (actually I don't think so) and agreed that poets ought to TRY HARDER.