My all-time hero

Sir: I was gutted to learn of the early death of one of my all-time heroes (8 August). Rod Liddle’s was the voice of a beleaguered Middle England, standing for the long-established Christian values of common sense, integrity, fairness, respect for all, and many other aspects so fundamental to this country’s traditional way of life. Rod never took prisoners: he just demolished their arguments with the supremely elegant and simple language.

Richard Longfield
Weston Patrick, Hampshire

A true wordsmith

Sir: A friend speaks for all Liddleites when he writes: ‘Anyone who can think up the word “wankpuffin” is irreplaceable.’ RIP.

J. C.H. Mounsey
Minchinhampton, Glos

In Rod we trust

Sir: Thank God for Rod.

Christopher Ellis
Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Oxon

Battle of the Blob

Sir: Rod Liddle pointed out every one of the Establishment’s innumerable failures by shining the brightest of spotlights into its darkest recesses – and the Blob squirmed in its glare. His unflinching analysis will be sorely missed by everyone who despises the complacency, apathy and hypocrisy of many within Britain’s political class.

Stefan Badham
Portsmouth

Fighting spirit

Sir: To say that Rod will be missed is to liken Passchendaele to a mild scrap.

Sue Mason
Long Sutton, Lincolnshire

Four little words

Sir: How I shall miss those four, hitherto disappointing, words on the contents page of the magazine: ‘Rod Liddle is away.’ The promise of future delight is no more.

John Doran
Birmingham

A moment to savour

Sir: Rod’s columns were the beating heart of every Spectator issue. Unlike many of his fans, I did not go straight to his column every week. Much like a good meal, it was important to work through the starter and main course first before gorging on such a fabulous pudding.

Max Bigley
Rolvenden, Kent

Honesty is a virtue

Sir: Your tribute to Rod Liddle last week offered a well-rounded encomium. As a Benedictine monk, perhaps I should steer clear of the kind of red-blooded views Rod enunciated. But, as you say, he was above all honest – honest to himself, a virtue in anyone’s lexicon.

Alexander Kenyon OSB
Belmont Abbey, Hereford

Free speech champion

Sir: Rod’s take on the virtue-signalling wokerati gave me hope that one day society will return to what I, and I suspect millions of others, consider to be normality. We have lost a true champion of free speech.

Kate Fletcher
Bedford

How dare he?

Sir: I deplore the death of Rod Liddle. How dare he take his leave at this moment of crisis! There is too much stupidity around and if there’s one sure thing in the race of life, stupidity is a very strong runner. I need him back at once to restore my sanity

Robert Twyford
Morpeth, Northumberland

Shedding a tear

Sir: There are only three public figures that I shed a tear over when they passed: Christopher Hitchens, the Queen and now Rod Liddle. His articles were an antidote to the suffocating era in which we find ourselves. One of the best nights I have ever had was when I went to watch Rod and Fraser Nelson in conversation at the London Palladium. My highlight was Rod telling the story of one of the many visits he had had from police because they had received a report about him potentially torturing mice. God bless!

Mark Seeds
Ollerton, Nottinghamshire

Never fear

Sir: It was with profound sadness that I learned of the death of Rod Liddle. I have been a Spectator subscriber for many years and it has been my custom every Friday to go straight to his column. Rod’s articles were controversial and acerbic but they could be relied upon to energise debate. A fearless journalist, dare I say it, of the old school.

Peter Bishop
Salisbury

Big softie

Sir: May I respectfully join those in expressing condolence to The Spectator upon the sad demise of one of your finest, and indisputably funniest, columnists. His weekly ruminations were, to my mind, worthy of the grand British tradition of satirists and iconoclasts. Some weeks Rod’s column would unfold like an unstoppable crash in an action movie and you just knew a massive wallop was impending – just so funny. I never met Rod in person but we did exchange messages on Facebook in March, during which he told me he was ill, but resigned to it. His hilarious message made clear he was delighted to hear from a reader, saying it had ‘made my day’. The big softie.

Dave MacIntosh
Newtonmore, Inverness-shire