No more ‘ghost’ trains | Country diary | Patriotic pudding | Fifa peace prize | Inaptly named buildings

How disappointing that the rail regulator has caved in to the moaning minnies and reinstated the 7am Manchester to London as a passenger service ( ‘People had forgotten about it’: onboard the 7am Manchester-London train service saved from axe, 4 December ). Here was a brilliant idea being piloted before adoption across the rail network. Gone now is the dream of an efficient rail service unencumbered by the demands of so-called “humans” and their messy ways.
Dr David Webster
Crewe, Cheshire

• There are two serious messages from Nicola Chester’s brilliant writing ( Country diary, 3 December ). One, I wonder how many people have sustained serious injuries from dogs’ exuberant greetings. The second is that however comforting hot sweet tea is, giving liquids can delay the administration of an anaesthetic.
Elaine Steane
Oxford

No more ‘ghost’ trains | Country diary | Patriotic pudding | Fifa peace prize | Inaptly named buildings

How disappointing that the rail regulator has caved in to the moaning minnies and reinstated the 7am Manchester to London as a passenger service ( ‘People had forgotten about it’: onboard the 7am Manchester-London train service saved from axe, 4 December ). Here was a brilliant idea being piloted before adoption across the rail network. Gone now is the dream of an efficient rail service unencumbered by the demands of so-called “humans” and their messy ways.
Dr David Webster
Crewe, Cheshire

• There are two serious messages from Nicola Chester’s brilliant writing ( Country diary, 3 December ). One, I wonder how many people have sustained serious injuries from dogs’ exuberant greetings. The second is that however comforting hot sweet tea is, giving liquids can delay the administration of an anaesthetic.
Elaine Steane
Oxford

No more ‘ghost’ trains | Country diary | Patriotic pudding | Fifa peace prize | Inaptly named buildings

How disappointing that the rail regulator has caved in to the moaning minnies and reinstated the 7am Manchester to London as a passenger service ( ‘People had forgotten about it’: onboard the 7am Manchester-London train service saved from axe, 4 December ). Here was a brilliant idea being piloted before adoption across the rail network. Gone now is the dream of an efficient rail service unencumbered by the demands of so-called “humans” and their messy ways.
Dr David Webster
Crewe, Cheshire

• There are two serious messages from Nicola Chester’s brilliant writing ( Country diary, 3 December ). One, I wonder how many people have sustained serious injuries from dogs’ exuberant greetings. The second is that however comforting hot sweet tea is, giving liquids can delay the administration of an anaesthetic.
Elaine Steane
Oxford