In a letter to the editor, Gabrielle Palmer recalls an act of generosity from the late photographer Raghu Rai. While writing her 1987 book The Politics of Breastfeeding, Palmer wanted to use Rai’s photograph of nurses bottle-feeding babies in a Singapore maternity ward. Unable to afford the £200 fee, she obtained his phone number in India and called from the UK. Rai answered personally, and after she explained her work, he immediately waived the fee, wishing her luck with her noble cause. Palmer, from Cambridge, expressed her gratitude.
Vasectomy Reality Check
Norman Miller from Brighton responds to an opinion piece on vasectomy, dismissing male myths. After his own vasectomy, a friend claimed he would not want anything that “messed with his boys.” Miller counters that, aside from a painful week walking like John Wayne, it was a pleasure to be “firing blanks.”
Paperwork Strategy
Warwick Hillman from Pinner, London, shares a tactic from his 39 years at London Transport (TfL’s predecessor). He used a basket labeled “Leave it alone and it will go away,” which usually worked for paperwork.
Arm Wrestle for Premiership
Les Bright from Exeter, Devon, suggests settling the Labour leadership contest with an arm wrestling match or a card game—best of three.
