According to the very first words in your front-page story (Chancellor to crack down on letting fees, 23 November) “millions of families” are to be offered relief from spurious letting charges. Funny, I hadn’t realised that the measure was targeted only at families – I guess this must mean that people living alone, house-sharers and childless couples will have to go on paying the fees? Can you please make an effort not to bandy about the word “families” as though it were a synonym for “people”?

Rob Sykes

Oxford

• I was leaning on a gate the other day, looking at the view, trying to figure out why November can often seem the best autumn month. Paul Evans expressed these feelings so beautifully (Country Diary, 23 November). Wonderful!

Nick Spencer

Kington, Herefordshire

• I was intrigued by the term “Ukip doner” in your piece “Farage fans toast golden year” (24 November, early editions). Given that Ukip and fellow Brexiters have thoroughly kebabbed much of the economy, is this an example of a Freudian typo?

Brian Price

Weston-super-Mare, Somerset

• “Scientists alarmed at record Arctic temperatures” (Report, 23 November). Why are our politicians not alarmed?

David Hurry

Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex

• The far right is getting a lot of press these days – a lot more coverage than movements around which people can resist this drift to the right. Words like “dismay”, used to describe the feelings of the unfeeling, dismay me. The far right are “not happy”, “disgruntled”, “angry”. I don’t want to know about their “dismay” (Donald Trump’s ‘alt-right’ supporters express dismay at disavowal, theguardian.com, 23 November). I don’t want to find myself inadvertently feeling sorry for them.

Victoria Trow

Totnes, Devon

• I scanned your online front page on Friday: uncontrollable climate change, impossible crises, Brexit, Trump et al. I’d like to congratulate your staff on just getting up in the morning.

Robert Dobson

Tenterden, Kent

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