I TOO was very interested in D M Deamer’s letter regarding the birds (Letters, July 24). Where are all the swallows?

We normally have nests on every house in the village main street. This year there are none.

We have plenty of starlings - too many - blackbirds, robins and a couple of wrens.

Eunice Birch,

Coombs Close,

Sutton-on-the-Forest, York

Capital punishment is an emotive issue

I REFER to the letter from Stuart Sykes (“Beware a rush for capital punishment”, Letters, July 21) on the emotive issue of capital punishment, and his assertion that the last woman to be hanged was subsequently found to be innocent.

In a world where urban myth and fake news seem to be becoming more prevalent, and in the interest of truth and accuracy, it should be pointed out that the woman in question, Ruth Ellis, was assuredly guilty of shooting her lover outside a pub in North London, even though she may well have had an accomplice who was never brought to justice.

In her short, tragic life Ruth Ellis was many things, but certainly not innocent of the crime.

Her case should not be used to advocate the abolition of the death penalty.

S H Hayes,

Wains Grove,

Dringhouses, York

Softly does it with Richard III speech

I WAS pleased to hear from Keith Isaac (Letters, August 1) that Richard III said his ‘A horse, a horse!’ line softly as, if he had said it loudly, what with the soldiers’ uniforms and guns it might have sounded a bit odd. Maybe ‘A tank, a tank!’ would have been more helpful.

I have had a smile on my face while writing this

letter and yes we enjoyed the performance (we were up in the gods).

Maureen Robinson, Broadway, York