Prigozhin’s example

Sir: Educationalists and policy advisers have long been concerned with identifying alternative routes of upward social mobility. The career of Yevgeny Prigozhin provides an illuminating example of precisely this (‘Crime and punishment’, 1 July). Instead of spending years swotting away at A-levels and business studies degrees, Yevgeny opted for hands-on commercial experience by running a hotdog stand in a big city. He was quick to recognise the value of physical fitness in the pursuit of ambition by engaging in regular training at a local gym. Networking was always high on his agenda, and he soon became close friends with an employee of the state intelligence agency who eventually became President of Russia.  From early on, Yevgeny understood that the ability ‘to think outside the box’ and employ unorthodox methods was a key ingredient to getting on in life. It is no surprise that he has come to be viewed by some as a modern-day equivalent to what Mikhail Lermontov described in 1840 as A Hero of Our Time.

Ivor Morgan

Lincoln

Legal immigrants

Sir: Lionel Shriver successfully highlights the most important issue facing the nation: legal immigration (‘The unspeakable truth about housing’, 1 July). While illegal immigration is a serious problem that may require us to leave the ECHR to resolve, it pales into insignificance when compared to the social, cultural and economic cost of allowing 1.2 million people to legally migrate here in a 12-month period. Unless the government does something about it, the Conservatives are almost certain to lose the forthcoming general election.

Charles Clark

Chislehurst, Kent

Triumphs of Henry III

Sir: Lord Sumption’s portrait of Henry III (Books, 10 June) reiterates many of the usual conclusions of the king’s reign but sadly ignores his more overlooked achievements. It never ceases to amaze me how little attention most historians pay to the period 1234-58, when the king oversaw a golden age of construction, secular and ecclesiastical. Lord Sumption understandably highlights Westminster Abbey as the king’s crowning achievement, but many other great Gothic religious buildings, such as Canterbury, Wells and Salisbury cathedrals, were either rebuilt or added to during that period. Henry also financed important work at several royal palaces and castles, such as the Palace of Westminster, Windsor, Dover and the Tower of London. This undoubtedly inspired the king’s eldest son and heir, Edward I, builder of the Iron Ring of castles in Wales. The quieter years of Henry III’s reign may not be the most exciting for the history student, but thanks to him the wonderful Gothic culture thrived. As modern times remind us, a government’s ability to successfully manage construction projects is often underrated.  

John Paul Davis

Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire

Stranded at sea

Sir: One little-known aspect of the Covid pandemic was its impact on merchant shipping. While there was early coverage of the ramifications for the cruise industry, the devastating impact more generally was missed (Politics, 10 June). Globally, some 300,000 seafarers were left stranded at sea because of international restrictions caused by the pandemic, some of them working continuously for over 17 months without a break. The crucial global sinews of trade were in danger of breaking down.

We need to learn the lesson of how to ensure in any future global pandemic that world trade can continue safely.

Admiral Lord West of Spithead

House of Lords, London SW1

Bunker mentality

Sir: Rory Sutherland (The Wiki Man, 1 July) considers a golf course ‘the only place that feels safe’ from bossy boots. Really? The last time I played at the RAC Club in Epsom, there were signs that ‘only clothes designed for golf’ could be worn, women were not allowed upstairs, an official drove in a buggy over several fairways to tell me to tuck my shirt in, and another quoted rule 57: thou shall not tuck your trouser bottoms in your socks in the event of wet grass. Luckily he didn’t notice that my socks didn’t match, an almost criminal offence.

Nicky Bird

London W3

Sweet success

Sir: Isabel Hardman misses the point about continuous glucose monitoring (‘Sugar rush’, 1 July). She’s right that most people don’t need to worry about their pancreas but, as reported by Diabetes UK, there were 2.4 million people at a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in 2022. There’s no comparison to be made with the gluten-free trend here. It isn’t just a theory that high blood sugar causes disease. It’s a known contributing factor to major chronic disease including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease and some cancers. These don’t just affect old people, and they tend to be picked up only at later stages when quality of life has deteriorated.

As a registered healthcare professional, I can tell you that many people do need compelling ways to motivate themselves to live healthily in the modern world. In my experience, continuous glucose monitoring is an effective motivator, which can pick up worrying glucose trends before they become a serious problem. Why would you discourage people from taking such positive preventative action for their health? Is the NHS not struggling enough? 

Jessica Uffindell

Uttoxeter, Staffordshire

Bitter beauty

Sir: Ysenda Maxtone Graham is quite right about Aperol (Notes on…, 1 July). We all need to encourage the drinking of Punt e Mes – ‘a point and a half’ in English. It’s much nicer than Campari and a perfect substitute for Aperol in a spritz.

Alastair Conan

Coulsdon

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