I read your feature on the Belong intergenerational community in Chester with absolute delight (Young, old and marvellous: how a care home built a nursery – and everyone thrived, 6 February). I am so pleased that somebody is taking the all‑important connection between old and young seriously, and making it work. As a teenager and twentysomething moons ago, I strongly felt that ancient great aunts and uncles were immured in a living death – tucked away, out of sight, easily forgotten. They needed connectivity, to interact with kids, to be reminded of what it was like to be a parent or a favourite aunt/uncle. I would happily sign up for Belong in Chester tomorrow.
Diana Coulter
Southwold, Suffolk
• When I was a teenager, there was a house for sale next door. It didn’t sell for years and we were convinced that it was because after Sunday lunch (to my mother’s chagrin) we used to lick our plates in the large bow window in the dining room, when other people were taking their Sunday constitutionals, and peering in to see what the neighbours might be like (Letters, 9 February).
Alison Leighton
Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire
• “Boris Johnson recently wrote about how he would have loved to serve his country,” says John Crace (Digested week, 9 February). Wasn’t he supposed to do that when he was prime minister?
Martin McColgan
Matching Green, Essex
• I’ve noticed an awful lot of letters in the Guardian seem to be from people who have “emeritus” after their name. That’s the problem with pensioners – too much time on their hands.
Kevin Donnelly (retired)
Sanremo, Italy
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