I was delighted to read that the best new building is one planned to “last another four centuries” (Cosy nooks in a thicket of books: time-straddling library is Britain’s best new building, 13 October). The longevity of buildings in the UK is rarely discussed, but historically only about 20,000 homes a year are demolished out of a total stock of 27m. At this rate, the average home will have to stand for another 1,350 years – longer than the oldest Oxford or Cambridge college.
Dr Brenda Boardman
Emeritus fellow, Oxford University
• Emma Brockes seems to have missed the most interesting part of James Corden’s meltdown (James Corden finds himself in celebrity jail, but is the joke on us for caring?, 19 October), namely that anyone would bother to go to a restaurant when all they want is an omelette and salad. Whisper it: you can make that at home.
Barbara Brewis
Burnopfield, County Durham
• I was interested to read that Boris Becker has given up alcohol while serving time at his bijou prison outside Henley-on-Thames (Report, 19 October). Presumably he has also temporarily given up country rambles, rowing and foreign travel?
Richard Percy
Newburgh, Lancashire
• Please can you stop using what has become a tiresome cliche, “a screeching U-turn” (Report, 16 October), even if we live in such a changing political landscape.
Geoff Smith
Clayton West, West Yorkshire
• At the height of the BSE crisis, my son’s teacher told the class that “mad cow disease has been in sheep for donkey’s years” (Letters, 19 October).
Mick McKeown
Windermere, Cumbria
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