A rhyme to recall rising temperatures

Your article (‘Unprecedented’ changes in UK climate are normalizing extremes, report says, 15 July) reminded me of the rhyme to help people convert from fahrenheit to centigrade when I was a schoolgirl in the late 60s. This was “five, 10 and 21 – winter, spring and summer sun”, denoting the then average temperatures. Maybe this could be updated for the 2020s. I was thinking of “10, 15, 28 – reduce emissions before too late”.
Liz Haggart
Bearsted, Kent

• Of all the inequalities in education, access to tree shade would not be high on my list (Private schools offer 41% more tree shade than state schools in England, 16 July). It’s a poor metric, as if a state school is forced to sell an open playing field, the proportion of its site covered by trees could increase. I would look at the extent of air-conditioned classrooms first.
Peter West
London

• Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett writes that learning languages slows brain ageing (12 July). I enjoy learning Italian idioms. The one to match “it’s another kettle of fish” is e un altro paio di maniche (“it’s another pair of sleeves”). Still trying at 88.
Les Bonney
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

• As a Crystal Palace fan, I was perturbed that among the words I found in the Word Wheel (13 July print edition) were “eagle” and “relegated”. Is this a worrying portent?
John Bryant
Topsham, Exeter

• The letter from Laura Matthew (As a frontline worker, my anger over the Tories’ handling of Covid has not abated, 16 July) should be engraved in stone and made a national monument.
Leila Roberts
Mickley, North Yorkshire

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