Letter: Crisis looms

Sir: Jack O'Sullivan calls weavers of Harris tweed "humourless" on the basis of their reaction to an Ikea advertisement criticising their product as a "nasty, itchy, old-fashioned fabric favoured by masochists" ("Scots see red over tweed ads", 4 November). Is he suggesting that Ikea's attack on this economic mainstay of the Western Isles should be merrily laughed off by those whose livelihoods depend on tweed? Presumably we can now expect your articles on the beef crisis to portray British farmers as sullen and unable to take a joke because of mischievous remarks made about their product by those jovial Frenchmen. Lighten up, guys!

DOMINIC WATT

Leeds