There is scarcely a word in the Rev John Fielding s elegant letter in your last edition with which I would wish to disagree (Nation owes real debt of gratitude to Jean Pateman, H&H letters May 14). But the elegance, and truth, of the Rev Fielding s lette

There is scarcely a word in the Rev John Fielding's elegant letter in your last edition with which I would wish to disagree (Nation owes real debt of gratitude to Jean Pateman, H&H letters May 14).

But the elegance, and truth, of the Rev Fielding's letter should not blind us - or him - to some other less comfortable (and, alas, less elegantly-expressed) truths that have surfaced recently in your columns. There are two sides to this coin.

I resigned as a Protector of the Friends of Highgate Cemetery last year, because of the failure (as I and my two fellow-Protectors saw it) of the then Board to make necessary plans for the future governance of FOHC, despite our continued urgings in private over a period of 15 months.

On behalf of all three Protectors I advised last year's AGM that it is not consistent with best practice for directors of any organisation to be elected, re-elected, and re-re-elected in near perpetuity. This is true of any director, but especially of an organisation's chief executive: it is good neither for the organisation nor for the individual.

As a result of this urging, a resolution was presented to the recent AGM, which would have obliged directors at least to take a sabbatical from time to time before resuming their labours. Sadly, the Board did not see fit to explain to members any of the reasoning behind this resolution. Those who were unable to attend the AGM in person were obliged, therefore, to vote upon it without the slightest clue as to its rationale. The only surprise was the smallness of the majority by which the resolution was voted down. Things will be differently arranged next year.

Meanwhile, following several resignations, we do now have a largely new Board. Its members know exactly what it is they must do, and it is now up to them to take their courage in both hands, and do it.

Robin Fairlie

Broadlands Road, N6

orking Mother. The breathless Ms Blinkhorn tells us of Ms Millar's "immaculate appearance, elegant boots, diamante-buttoned cardigan" and "the impossibly serenely tidy workshops" in the kitchen. I wonder what most ordinary working mothers will make of Ms Millar's self indulgent, philosophical ramblings.

They well know that she has a millionaire partner, a house in a posh road and no doubt all the home help she wants. She is free to make choices in her life, for instance to peddle her left wing ideology, whereas most working women have the choice of being a shelf stacker or taking another low paid job.

CAROLE TUCKER

Hillside Gardens, N6

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