It’s good to see the recent tips for keeping fit , but please don’t dismiss the value of electric bikes in the same breath as cars or scooters (Letters, 11 October). An e-bike will take you nowhere without physical input from the rider. Having undergone major heart surgery some years ago, I can testify to the huge benefits to my wellbeing as a result of the thousands of miles I have covered on my e-bike, including two coast-to-coast rides with my fellow patients, the Electric Cranks.
Bob Gower
Blackburn, Lancashire
Regarding the discovery of an 18th-century cold bathing pool in Bath (Archaeologists uncover rare 18th-century cold bath under Bath Assembly Rooms, 9 October), a similar stone-lined and spring-fed plunge pool, part of a listed Georgian two-storey building, was saved and restored more than 20 years ago here in Congleton. Volunteers have maintained the building and added a physic garden in its grounds.
John Cockell
Congleton, Cheshire
Many, many years ago, when I was reviewing old essay questions for an upcoming entrance exam, one stuck in my mind: “Distinguish between a sport, a hobby, a game and a pastime” (Letters, 12 October). I can’t recall what I was trying to enter, let alone why, but the question has occasionally provided a starting point for a sixth form discussion.
Dr Andrew Ruddle
West Molesey, Surrey
Lisa Cameron’s defection from the Scottish National party to the Conservatives (Report, 12 October) is a rare example of a rat joining a sinking ship.
Michael Meadowcroft
Leeds
