Intervals are the best bits – give us a break

Re your article on theatre intervals being in peril (Is the theatre interval becoming a thing of the past?, 18 August), on long evenings at the theatre I often think of the young boy Alan Bennett mentions in his 1990 diary. Before committing to a trip to the theatre with the writer, he asks: “Are there any of those things when they let you out for a bit? … Those are the bits I like the best.”Matthew NewmanLeeds
Adrian Chiles’s Proustian regrette (You know what nobody has ever said? ‘I wish that event went on a bit longer!’, 14 August) is a reminder to all of us who have braved the Ring, Einstein on the Beach and whole-day history/Roman cycles that, however great those were, the finest seven words in British theatre history are: “This production runs 90 minutes, no interval.” Richard Lee Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
The Shetland rocket explosion (Report, 20 August) reminds me of a balloon launch failure in Cornwall, where the public relations message was: “It was not a failure. We just found another way which doesn’t work.”John RichardsOxford
Re apostrophes, an entry in my school’s weekly planner once said: “3.45 Short Teacher’s Meeting” (Letters, 18 August). I was still surprised that just one teacher turned up – and he was only 5ft 3in. Robert PughOgwell, Devon
I don’t think Pamela Guyatt (Letters, 19 August) need worry about noise pollution from Amazon drones in rural areas as I am sure clay pigeon shooters will use the opportunity to hone their skills.David FeltonCrewe, Cheshire