Vanessa’s a pillar of the hiking community | Brief letters

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:46:45 +0200

Trig points | Learning with Yes Minister | A swipe at government | Flyer failure | Public toilets Your report (Campaigners seek listed status for historic trig points that mapped Britain, 16 April) didn’t mention the Vanessa trig point – Vanessa being a corruption of the Venesta company, which made cardboard tubes into which the concrete for the pillars was poured. These were designed for less accessible places, mostly in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. I was never less than half exhausted when I met one. Margaret Squires St Andrews, Fife • Who knew Yes Minister was a documentary (Letters, 19 April)? My friend Graham Fortune did. He was a New Zealand public servant and diplomat. On their first day working for the public service, he would tell new recruits to watch the programme as an essential part of their training. Penelope Horner Whitchurch, Hampshire Continue reading...