Readers respond to an article by John Harris on how the budget has left middle-income families anxious and angry

John Harris’s stimulating article on the “squeezed middle” missed one area of concern for those of us trapped in it ( The ‘squeezed middle’ is back – and this time it could be Labour’s undoing, 30 November ). We knew that even if we’d paid our cheap mortgages off (lucky us), we would either have to downsize or have taken out our own pensions. We knew the state pension would never be enough.

So we did. And if we were lucky, it covered the cracks. Except that when we retired, we were taxed again on our pensions, having already been taxed on the funds we used to take them out in the first place.

Readers respond to an article by John Harris on how the budget has left middle-income families anxious and angry

John Harris’s stimulating article on the “squeezed middle” missed one area of concern for those of us trapped in it ( The ‘squeezed middle’ is back – and this time it could be Labour’s undoing, 30 November ). We knew that even if we’d paid our cheap mortgages off (lucky us), we would either have to downsize or have taken out our own pensions. We knew the state pension would never be enough.

So we did. And if we were lucky, it covered the cracks. Except that when we retired, we were taxed again on our pensions, having already been taxed on the funds we used to take them out in the first place.

Readers respond to an article by John Harris on how the budget has left middle-income families anxious and angry

John Harris’s stimulating article on the “squeezed middle” missed one area of concern for those of us trapped in it ( The ‘squeezed middle’ is back – and this time it could be Labour’s undoing, 30 November ). We knew that even if we’d paid our cheap mortgages off (lucky us), we would either have to downsize or have taken out our own pensions. We knew the state pension would never be enough.

So we did. And if we were lucky, it covered the cracks. Except that when we retired, we were taxed again on our pensions, having already been taxed on the funds we used to take them out in the first place.

A photographer’s legacy | Getting in the Christmas spirit | Crossword cat | New dictionary entry | Peace prize for Putin

Martin Parr’s photographs are full of wry humour and an affection for the quirkiness of life ( Martin Parr, photographer acclaimed for observations of British life, dies aged 73, 7 December ). He encouraged ordinary people to observe and celebrate the world around us. A few years ago, I had two photographs published on the Guardian’s letters pages, something that would never have happened to me in a million years had I not been inspired by Martin.
Toby Wood
Peterborough

• I enjoyed the article on getting into the Christmas spirit ( 2 December ). Please can Joel Snape provide a list of the 31 festive films he watches in December? For me, the festive feeling starts when I add the first house to my Marks & Spencer advent village bought in 1998 – and getting out my festive tea towels.
Cathy I’Anson
London

A photographer’s legacy | Getting in the Christmas spirit | Crossword cat | New dictionary entry | Peace prize for Putin

Martin Parr’s photographs are full of wry humour and an affection for the quirkiness of life ( Martin Parr, photographer acclaimed for observations of British life, dies aged 73, 7 December ). He encouraged ordinary people to observe and celebrate the world around us. A few years ago, I had two photographs published on the Guardian’s letters pages, something that would never have happened to me in a million years had I not been inspired by Martin.
Toby Wood
Peterborough

• I enjoyed the article on getting into the Christmas spirit ( 2 December ). Please can Joel Snape provide a list of the 31 festive films he watches in December? For me, the festive feeling starts when I add the first house to my Marks & Spencer advent village bought in 1998 – and getting out my festive tea towels.
Cathy I’Anson
London

A photographer’s legacy | Getting in the Christmas spirit | Crossword cat | New dictionary entry | Peace prize for Putin

Martin Parr’s photographs are full of wry humour and an affection for the quirkiness of life ( Martin Parr, photographer acclaimed for observations of British life, dies aged 73, 7 December ). He encouraged ordinary people to observe and celebrate the world around us. A few years ago, I had two photographs published on the Guardian’s letters pages, something that would never have happened to me in a million years had I not been inspired by Martin.
Toby Wood
Peterborough

• I enjoyed the article on getting into the Christmas spirit ( 2 December ). Please can Joel Snape provide a list of the 31 festive films he watches in December? For me, the festive feeling starts when I add the first house to my Marks & Spencer advent village bought in 1998 – and getting out my festive tea towels.
Cathy I’Anson
London

The answer to today’s engineering challenge

Earlier today I asked you to reinvent a component of the sixteenth century Dutch sawmill, which – according to a new book – was the world’s first industrial machine. You can read that post here, along with some great BTL discussion about the world’s greatest inventions. (Spoon or spear? Plough or spectacles? Transistor or trousers?)

Round and up

The answer to today’s engineering challenge

Earlier today I asked you to reinvent a component of the sixteenth century Dutch sawmill, which – according to a new book – was the world’s first industrial machine. You can read that post here, along with some great BTL discussion about the world’s greatest inventions. (Spoon or spear? Plough or spectacles? Transistor or trousers?)

Round and up

The answer to today’s engineering challenge

Earlier today I asked you to reinvent a component of the sixteenth century Dutch sawmill, which – according to a new book – was the world’s first industrial machine. You can read that post here, along with some great BTL discussion about the world’s greatest inventions. (Spoon or spear? Plough or spectacles? Transistor or trousers?)

Round and up