I VISITED Guildhall to sign the book of condolence for the Queen Mother.

First I had to find it because the sign was on the floor under the table. The book itself was not very nice, the table wobbled when one rested hand on it to write and the flowers had just been stuck in a vase and not arranged. The Guildhall was full of people getting bus tokens.

More people would have signed if it had been better presented. It was an insult to the Queen Mother who was once Duchess of York, and also a bigger insult to us as citizens.

Sheila Huggins,

Brecksfield, Skelton.

...THE Queen Mother's death sparked a wave of repetitive, hysterical comment in the media. We were told the heir to the throne was utterly devastated and his family stricken with grief, but now the passing of a privileged old lady of 101 years has led Mr Lawson of Stamford Bridge to describe this event in Saturday's Evening Press as a national tragedy.

What words now should be used for Palestinian suicide bombers, the missing Walton-on-Thames schoolgirl, and the hit and run death of a six-year-old in Bishop Auckland?

D Taylor,

The Close,

Clifton,

York.

Updated: 10:56 Friday, April 19, 2002