Power lines’ curves and accidental verse | Brief letters

Dr William Whewell | John Prescott | International Apostrophe Day | University vice-chancellors | Musk and Trump

Re pylons (Letters, 12 August), as an admirer of these vital lifelines with their graceful catenaries, I often recall the words of DrWilliam Whewell (1794-1866), in his Elementary Treatise on Mechanics: Hence no force however great can stretch a cord however fine into an horizontal line which is accurately straight: there will always be a bending downwards."
Ian Forman
Bishopthorpe, North Yorkshire

Your report (English councils poised to get powers to buy greenbelt land without overpaying, 12 August) brought to mind the words of the MP John Prescott in a 1998 interview: The green belt is a Labour achievement - and we mean to build on it."
Anne J Palmer
Shillington, Hertfordshire