SIR

Sir,

I have just read Mr. Bowden’s letter for the third time and am still amazed that such an assortment of ill-informed ” waffle ” should appear in your pages, unless, of course, you were inviting correspondence.

Mr. Bowden’s picture of every E-type Jaguar owner howling around at 160 m.p.h. with his eyes fixed on the point of no return 480 yards ahead would be amusing if it were not a view shared by so many.

To criticise a superbly designed and produced sports car purely on the grounds of ultimate speed is ludicrous. Some sporting cars that I have been in were decidedly hairy at anything over 65, while—presumably—trousered Aunties are happy all day in vast veneered vehicles from our most famous makes that will comfortably exceed the hundred mark. Perhaps they never noticed. . . .

Science fiction apart; if Mr. Bowden Still feels restricted by his forebear’s’ reflexes—about to to 15 m.p.h.—he should fit a governor to his bicycle and employ a man with a red flag.

I was more startled by the vicious attack On jet transport captains, coming from someone who it, in however ‘minor a position, connected with our aircraft industry. “17his country has many Of the World’s finest aircraft and ‘crews to match. To slander the captains as frenetic, nervous, pop-playing idiots is in the poorest taste. .

I cannot help feeling that perhaps Mr. Bowden resents those who have superior skill, judgment and experience to himself— the Father Figure :on the airship bridge seems as far as he dare go.

What really hurt though is that I have a beard and fly jets. A frantic search through the record cabinet, WAS, revealed none of ‘Cliff Richard’s recordings.

Acomb. LIEUTENANT D. J. Dutsta,kg7DEwsgv, R.N.

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