As a result of the unfolding Covid-19 pandemic, medical staff (soignants) in France were awarded bonus payments of €1,000-€1,500 in November 2020. They have now been awarded a pay rise of 10%, and international staff have been offered (free of charge) French citizenship.
Dominica Jewell
Bazoches-au-Houlme, France
• I do get tired of the phrase “history is written by the winners” (Letters, 10 March). I’ve read histories of the two world wars written by German historians and of the Spanish civil war by liberal, socialist and anarchist historians. History is written by historians.
Dr Harry Harmer
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
• Please don’t keep making me doubt my knowledge (Quick crossword no 15,863, 11 March). Three down, a lectern is “support for a speaker”. The lectern is for holding the reading material, not the reader!
Diane Woodley
Westgate-on-Sea, Kent
• The purpose of the bobble hat is to make for easier identification when you’re reading Where’s Wally? with your grandkids (Letters, 10 March). I thought everybody knew that.
Bob Hargreaves
Summerseat, Greater Manchester
• If Marina Hyde doesn’t like the sound of “Charles III” (Meghan and Harry v ‘The Institution’: another royal fairytale turned Grimm, 9 March) how does “President Boris” sound?
George Greenhough
Camblesforth, North Yorkshire
• Re penguins in the Arctic (Letters, 9 March), polar bears don’t eat penguins because they can’t get the wrappers off.
Phil Coughlin
Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear
