Letter: Cooking up trouble in the kitchen

Sir: I entirely agree with your correspondent Lady L ('Dear Mrs de Vere Hayes', 20 May) that one must always seek references when engaging domestic staff.

While on the subject of references, I venture to hope that you will accept that those who live by the pen would do well to follow Dr Routh's advice that 'you will find it a very good practice always to verify your (literary) references' (Quarterly Review, Vol cxlvi, p30).

The correct version of Lady L's misquotation concerning cooks is to be found in Saki's short story 'Reginald on Besetting Sins'.

Yours, I trust helpfully,

GEOFFREY FORD

Normandy, Surrey

20 May