Dear Sophocles,

I did as you bid and watched an evening's telly. I fear you may be right. I heard a rugby interviewer ask a player if a referee's decision (that they had earlier agreed was spontaneous) was in fact "too spontaneous". Presumably that's an very unique remark. Worse was to come. Kelly Hoppen told her viewers that her style reflected her clients. Look out for a variety of beige people rushing out for her deft touch.

Waldemar Januszczak told his viewers that the painter William Dobson painted most of his subjects from the knee up. Waldemar helpfully pointed to his own knee. Blow me down, his knees are in about the same place as most people's, between his foot and his mouth. By the way, the presenter of the weather forecast reported that we were in for a lot of "weather".

I was told by M M that the minister who can't tie his tie properly apologised to viewers for "giving the impression of wrongdoing" on the telly, though not on the night I was watching. What a brilliant (Minister of) defence. If I've "given the impression" of being underwhelmed by any of the above mentioned telly folk, then I'm really sorry too.

I know you put it down to dumbing down, but I'm not convinced. I think they regard the lot of us as plain stupid. Maybe we are for watching and listening to them.

P.S. That 50mm lens is sharper than I thought it would be.