When the Guardian archive was first made available online, my mother and I took the opportunity to look up some ancestors. One obituary we discovered was that of the Rev John Aldis (6 December 1900). We were a little confused: hadn’t he lived a few years longer? Still, we were delighted to discover the obituary. Even better was to find a correction in the next edition – the obituary had been published in error; the death had been of his son (also the Rev John Aldis). The Rev John Aldis Sr lived until 1907, dying at the age of 99, but I have no record if the obituary was republished.
Ingrid Warren
Oxford
• It was inspiring to see wonderful images of Sophie Matterson’s ongoing and hugely impressive walk (Outback camel trek: one woman’s 5,000km journey across Australia, 25 May) and I wish her well. However, it’s remarkable that the image captions did not once reference the pioneering Robyn Davidson, who made just such a journey and wrote about it in her award-winning book Tracks (1980). This is mentioned not to diminish Matterson’s achievement but rather to create a lineage of women’s achievements in their own terms. Memory is central to this process and amplifies, rather than reduces, what follows.
Gareth Evans
London
• Two decades ago I was delighted to find that the web address www.grauniad.co.uk redirected to the Guardian’s website. I’m pleased to see that it still does.
Nigel Moss
Buxton, Derbyshire
• It should not come as a surprise that the victims of Hillsborough are denied justice after all these years (Hillsborough families attack ‘ludicrous’ acquittals of police, 26 May). It is in the best traditions of British democracy that a cover-up is covered up.
Prof Bob Brecher
Brighton
• About 10 years ago, the local pub in Scagglethorpe, North Yorkshire, had a large sign (Letters, 25 May) saying: “Reopening soon under new, friendly management”.
David Cooper
Nafferton, Yorkshire
• Never mind the average age in “Other lives” obituaries (Letters, 25 May) or indeed in Birthdays. How do I get to be included in either?
Kenneth Ball (age 91)
Ditchling, Sussex
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