THANK YOU to John Langridge who sends us this pic from Malindi, Kenya, where, he says, he is “idling for saltfish”. A shame that this African country seems to have introduced a new apartheid system which discriminates against the less active members of the community.

All Greek

Sir: [Re Andrew Smart’s piece on Greece] Let’s not forget that notwithstanding the endemic corruption in Greece – and the shenanigans of Goldman Sachs, who were fiddling the Greek clearing bank accounts – whilst those in power in Greece looked the other way, by way of making it look as though the then government was spending oodles of cash on infrastructure and so on, but weren’t, it might be the case that if the Greeks spent less time on having a good time – smashing plates etc, and paying their taxes, it might have meant that things would have turned out a bit different? But of course, what should have happened, like it should happened here in the UK, all those offending banks should have been allowed to go under – not propped up with truck loads of taxpayers’ cash. Doing so, would mean that the Greek economy wouldn’t be in the mess that it is in now. And the most evil bank on the planet should have given its marching orders.  But let’s not forget also, that the financial mandarins in Brussels will do anything to ensure that the Euro is kept intact. Even if it means keeping a country’s populace in a state of permanent penury.

Ray J. Howes

What’s a chap to do?

Sir:  I think it is time I was unsubscribed from your mailing list. I used to read your books with a sense of comradely inspiration but I no longer see the Idler as something that represents me or anything I may wish to aspire to. I have grown increasingly suspicious of your true identity: celebrating computer-game-playing Tories with some kind of faux anarchic wink, relocating from the country back to London on the money chase, emails about longer opening hours over Christmas (quintessential Idler philosophy?) and now the last straw, a course about how to dress (the magical world of cravats and tiepins!) So encouraging one and all to get out to work so they can afford some ridiculous new attire that will only look comfortable in the company of bankers and Tories.  I now see the Idler for what I fear it is, a pastime club for the 1%.

I live in rural Herefordshire, grow my own food, chop my own firewood, this year I will be building my own house, I spend days in the woodland with my child, I have little disposable income but neither am I a servant to anyone and my time is mine. Freedom is not a weekend pursuit; for me, it is a life choice.  If you would like some advice on living free and in an Idler spirit, then drop me a line and I will give you some tips. In the meantime, please unsubscribe me from the endless commercial email drops.

Best regards, Frank

Ed replies: Frank may not be aware that most of the clothes championed by Mr Temple in his “how to dress” course can be found in second hand shops for very reasonable sums. Can I add also that it is not compulsory for idlers to live in the woods; in fact most of them live in cities. And finally, we believe that making good things and selling them is an honourable way to make a living.

Brave New World

Sir: I remember some years ago reading something you wrote about the negative, workaholic message impressed on children by Bob The Builder. In this week’s New Yorker is an article about a global chain of theme parks called Kidzonia where the entire adult world is recreated for children, replete with factory work, taxation, courts, corporate sponsorship and the buzz-phrase ‘Have a productive day’. I have personally never read anything so disturbing as what follows, and kept checking the byline to confirm it was an article, not a newly discovered lost story by Aldous Huxley or J. G. Ballard. I am hoping to write a letter to The New Yorker in response to this story, but doubt I’ll be able to hide anger and outrage enough to write a publishable one. As you are an established author on parenthood, there is a strong chance they would publish one from you. I hope you agree it is a subject to be spoken out against strongly.

Best wishes, L. Forbeson.

Real minimalism

Sir: Thought you would like this quotation from the recent biography of Robert Wyatt by Marcus O’Dair ( p.279): “I am a real minimalist, because I don’t do very much. I know some minimalists who call themselves minimalists but they do loads of minimalism. That is cheating.”

Dr Patrick Curry