I would like to reassure readers that Sir Humphrey would have enthusiastically approved the appointment of Gavin Williamson as defence secretary. In his opinion, the ideal ministerial appointee should have little or no previous knowledge of his new brief. Another triumph for the prime minister!

Jonathan Lynn

London

• Plainly it is time for Éric Rohmer’s film Claire’s Knee to be reissued. Roughly speaking, this involves a male protagonist becoming obsessed by a need to touch Claire on her knee, but only if and when he can do so and not create offence. The film ends when that moment arrives.

RJ Ellis

Derby

• Bonfire night can be a perilous time for hedgehogs, so if you have been building a bonfire over the last days or weeks, please move it to a different location before you light it. Hedgehogs quite often nestle down inside the pile of wood and leaves. Move it during the day to give any wildlife time to move out. Better still, build your bonfire on the day it will be lit to minimise the danger to these beautiful creatures.

Sue Peterson

Harpenden, Hertfordshire

• Under “Ergodic (disambiguation)”, Wikipedia says “Ergodic literature, literature that requires special effort to navigate” (Letters, 2 November). Applicable to some Guardian letters, perhaps?

Katy Jennison

Witney, Oxfordshire

• Can I reassure John Warburton (Letters, 2 November) that despite considering myself a Christian, I turn Anne Atkins off too; but I leave the radio on with enthusiasm if Indarjit Singh is listed to speak.

Maureen Panton

Malvern, Worcestershire