Re Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey, Charlotte Higgins urges us to watch the film, but also read the poem – “you won’t regret it” (25 July). I bypassed the verse and went straight to Simon Armitage’s stunning four-hour radio adaptation of Homer from 2004, now on BBC Sounds, which helped, thrillingly, to clarify much of what remained a bit murky in the movie. Quentin Falk, Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Lobbying safeguards needed
Re your article on lobbying the government (Besieged by lobbyists, will UK ministers protect our ecosystems? No, they’ll chicken out, 23 July), the NHS trust I worked for had a policy that prevented doctors from meeting drug representatives without a pharmacist present. This ensured doctors’ prescriptions were based on good evidence rather than drug firms’ promotions. Perhaps it’s time for a similar system to be put in place when MPs meet lobbyists. Stephen Carter, Cullompton, Devon
Obituary details
As a dedicated reader of the obituaries, I notice that the deceased regularly succumb to a “short illness”. It would be helpful to have more information so I could avoid this malady and continue to read the Guardian for a little longer. Dr Terry Scragg (aged 85), Walberton, West Sussex
Cream cracker lunch
When I was growing up in Birmingham, what we now call elevenses was known as lunch (Letters, 26 July). It consisted of Jacob’s cream crackers thickly slathered with butter. These were considered healthier than cake. Jane Gregory, Emsworth, Hampshire
Flatpack decision
Don’t Involve Yourself: just watch others struggling with the flatpack (Letters, 24 July). Lorraine Haldane, Hove, East Sussex
