To me, the issue is a simple one – does the gold medal won by Rafael Nadal, a full-time, highly rewarded tennis player, have the same worth as either of the two won by Rebecca Adlington. No contest in
my book.

Whatever the arguments about the issue, and I have read many of them, I cannot help feeling that the International Olympic Committee allowed the change to suit their own purpose, and it does not reflect the worth of the gold medals won by the likes of Rebecca Adlington.

It surely is not beyond the organising committee to split the true professional and the true amateurs into two categories of participation and medals. In my book, it should read something like this:Professional category – full-time and earning living from his or her sport. Amateur category – not earning living from his or her sport. Sponsorship to
be allowed.

From: Jack H Kell, Low Hall Close, Menston, Ilkley.

I WRITE in response to Bernard Ingham's column, "Turned off by the insidious world of sport" (Yorkshire Post, August 20). Over the years I have felt to have had very little in common with Bernard Ingham but, today, I am in perfect agreement with every paragraph of his splendid article.

In particular, I too, find that being denied watching cricket on TV and the threat of Twenty 20 taking over is dreadful.

As he says, first-class football is being ruined by money and I feel, like Sir Bernard suggests, people who support these vastly overpaid players, must have more "brass than sense".

From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Acomb, York.

NOW that the 2008 Beijing Olympics are over, I would like to see a new image come from the UK and from the IOC.

China put on a spectacular games that was well organised and well equipped, of that there can be no doubt.

However, I sincerely hope that we do not try to match that or out do it. We should start by re-naming the London Olympics the British Olympics (Yorkshire Post, August 25). After all, we are all paying for it. I do not want all the events and benefits to be staged in and around London.

Instead of spending millions of pounds on fireworks, and other political razzmatazz, we should be funding new sports facilities in other parts of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. That is truly Britain, and almost every part has poor to medium sports and games amenities.

From: MK O'Sullivan, Victoria Street, Allerton Bywater, Castleford.

WITH the arrival home of the British Olympic team and their medals (Yorkshire Post, August 26), I suggest that one gold medal is missing.

I would award a gold medal to Gordon Brown for hypocritical opportunism and double standards. The Prime Minister makes a speech to the British team praising their courage and endurance. Fine. To link this with the servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan is an insult to them, not the first time Mr Brown has used them for political ends.

There is no comparison with the courage of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan show, especially when under fire, to the endurance and self-sacrifice of the sportsmen and women.

I recall just before the "election that never was" Mr Brown making certain he was seen with British soldiers in Iraq. Then he lost his nerve and did not call an election.

Mr Brown has written a book on courage shown by British servicemen. If he writes and addendum on his own efforts, it will be a very short read.


Walking in the rain...


From: Norman Armistead, Green Park Avenue, Cayton, Scarborough.

SO what's so bad about a drop of rain? Granted we have had more than our fair share lately, but I recall several exhilarating occasions when I was caught in a real deluge. I was crossing the M6 on Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk on my way to a B&B in Shap when the heavens opened and I was drenched.

It was a little embarrassing to sit with the family at supper dressed in another man's clothes that hardly fit me. But they were very polite and everyone kept a straight face. Another occasion was on the Wolds Way when I arrived at a B&B soaked to the skin and my clothes went into the airing cupboard and I showered and then stayed in my room.

Perhaps the most memorable experience of the rain was standing at Friar's Crag, Keswick, and looking out over Derwentwater as an electric storm was raging over the water. Forked lightning and thunder was a thrilling sound and sight. Unforgettable.

And then there is the fragrance after the rain – and that's poetry. Roll on summer.


Young actors' message to the spirit world


From: Mrs Angela B Moreton, Chandos Avenue, Roundhay, Leeds.

I HAVE just read with great interest the article on Victorian spiritualism in the weekend Magazine (Yorkshire Post, July 26), in particular the description of the career of the American brothers Ira and William Davenport.

Antonio Melechi refers to the "angry mobs" who tried to wreck their act in Yorkshire cities, but the appearance of the Davenports in Manchester led to an altogether more refined opposition which had interesting theatrical consequences.

Three young actors from the Manchester Theatre Royal went to see the Davenports' act early in 1865 and became convinced that it was all a hoax; one of them, Fred Maccabe, was a talented amateur magician who managed to reproduce many of the Davenports' "supernatural" effects himself.

After a performance before friends, they were encouraged to try to expose the Davenports and claim the £100 which had been offered by a (fake) clergyman, Dr Ferguson – who also appeared with the brothers – to anyone who could invoke spirits as easily as the Americans.

At the library hall of the Manchester Athenaeum on February 5, every item of the Davenports' repertoire was performed successfully by two of the actors, while the third imitated the "patter" of Dr Ferguson.

It was such a success that they repeated it a week later in the Free Trade Hall. The Davenports were shown up as charlatans, and could no longer get away with their unearthly music and other excitements as far as the citizens of Manchester were concerned.

The manager of the Theatre Royal, John Knowles, saw the chance to extend this exposure of the Davenports into his own repertory as a regular and lucrative event, but the actor who had played Dr Ferguson refused to do this and as a result was fired.

Fortunately, he was soon back in work, in Edinburgh. His name was Henry Irving, and some 30 years later he became the first actor to be knighted.