HOW do cities such as Rome, Florence and Paris manage to have hundreds of fountains in working order when we cannot keep just one in Parliament Street going?

Even in its early days one saw it in action a few times only, usually in the rain, hardly ever in summer. I notice that Leeds has changed two of its former fountains into flower beds. It’s looking good – food for thought?

PS: Yippee – the seats are back in Parliament Street. But whatever you do, please do not sit on them, unless of course you love pigeon droppings.

Barbara Hudson, Badger Hill, York.