Hurrah for Barbados! Can the UK be next? | Brief letters

The Monarchy | Scott's Antarctic diary | MPs' unintelligence contest | Parliamentary role models

Congratulations to the Republic of Barbados for having the confidence and maturity to dispense with the Ruritanian nonsense of monarchy (Report, 30 November). I live in hope that one day we will see the same thing happen here.
Tim Barker
Eastington, Gloucestershire

Dr Brigid Purcell is correct: ink freezes in sub-zero temperatures (Letters, 29 November). This is why Edwardian-era Antarctic explorers used pencils for writing records. See the British Library's website for a photograph of Robert Falcon Scott's final journal entry, and you will see that those famous last words, For God's sake look after our people", were written in pencil.
Karen May
London