Re your article on the dating of the Church of the Nativity (Church of the Nativity Jeopardy answer sparks Israel-Palestine storm, 13 January), the full and correct answer to the Jeopardy question is “the Roman province of Syria-Palestina”. As currently conceived, neither “Palestine” nor “Israel” existed at that time, and even Syria-Palestina ceased to exist by AD 390.

Dr James Anderson

Hastings, New Zealand

• I read that Oakham has a betting shop but there is opposition to McDonald’s there (Report, 15 January). I know which I would prefer my children to visit.

Janet Mansfield

Watch Hill, Cumbria

• With reference to the royals, Simon Jenkins suggests that “in a few weeks’ time we will wonder what all the fuss was about” (Journal, 14 January). I suspect there are a few of us wondering that now.

Mike Smith

Hythe, Southampton

• When I was an MSc student on a geological field trip in 1969, worried that I might oversleep the next day, I asked an American fellow student if he would “knock me up in the morning”. He nearly choked on his beer. In a lab class on another occasion, my request: “does anyone have a rubber?” had a similar effect (Letters, 14 January).

Susan Treagus

Manchester

• At just 82 years old, after years of delicious homemade Seville orange delight, changed circumstances recently forced the purchase of a single 350g jar of marmalade. Should I be worried or would buying a whole case improve my prospects (Letters, 15 January)?

Valerie Lewis

Wantage, Oxfordshire

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