Saved by the Magic of Cinema | Brief Letters

Comfort of Strangers | Another Battle of Hastings | Autumn Lights | Library Books | Money Matters: Such an inspiring story of cinema's transformative power (A Change That Worked: Numb with grief, I sat in the dark, surrounded by strangers, and began to heal, 12 October). Having lost my only sister, my father and my husband in a relatively short period, I can attest to this valuable activity of lifting, uplifting and simply saving one of the

Such an inspiring story of the transformative power of cinema (Change That Worked: Numb with Grief, I Sat in the Dark, Surrounded by Strangers – and I Began to Heal, October 12). Having lost my only sister, father and husband in a relatively short period of time, I can attest to the ability of this precious activity to divert, uplift and simply rescue one from the deepest pit of despair. Cinema saves lives – that much is clear to me.

I was there at another battle of Hastings on 5 March 1966 (Letters, 12 October). I was 16 and went with my boyfriend who was at Leicester College of Art. I remember wearing sackcloth and rushing down the hill. That night I ate spaghetti bolognese (English version) for the first time. My taste for Italian food outlasted my boyfriend.

Emma Beddington is looking for autumnal sparkles (October 12). He must join me in our morning bath at this time of year when there is a rainbow on our toilet roll as the faint sunlight breaks and then reflects off the edge of the opposite mirror.

My library always sends me an "advance" notice a few days before the due date for the books I've borrowed (Letters, October 12). Surely my books are just due?

Now I feel discriminated against. When I was at T-Side Polytechnic, nobody asked me which school I went to (Letters, 11 October).