I HAVE been in the region for the past few days, and I bought your newspaper.

As I intended to visit Washington, I was delighted to see the map of Washington (Echo, Sept 3).

As a consequence, my friend and I were easily able to find the area that we wanted, and were delighted with the road signs. I can only speak as an outsider, but I found it very easy to understand the numbered districts. It is far easier to see numbers than it is to spot the names of separate villages, especially when you are in a car.

It is understandable that local people might prefer to have only village names, which they know and understand. From a traveller's viewpoint, however, I should find it much harder to find my way around.

However, local democracy has evidently decided against the districts and their numbers, and I would be the last to argue against the will of those who live in Washington. - N Cornwell, Cambridge.

ROMEO BECKHAM

I USUALLY have nothing but the greatest admiration for the cartoonist Cluff.

However, his cartoon based on the new Beckham baby, Romeo, has reiterated the usual fallacy regarding the word 'wherefore' in the quotation from Romeo and Juliet.

It seems that the majority of people (wrongly) suppose that this word means 'where' when in fact it means 'why'. Juliet was not inquiring as to the whereabouts of Romeo; rather she wished to know why he had been born a Montague whilst she had been born a Capulet, the two families being more or less at war with one another and marriage between herself and Romeo being, therefore, impossible.

'Why must you be Romeo' (Montague) is the question, not 'Whereabouts are you, Romeo, (I wish to find you)'.

I realise that it has become a standard misconception about this phrase but it really exasperates me when I see or hear it wrongly cited.

I know that it is unlikely that Cluff will ever use this quotation again but I would appreciate it if you could pass on to him my thoughts on the matter. - K Orton, Ferryhill Station.

COMMERCIALISM IN SPORT

Have you noticed how sport is so commercialised now? Apart from their own names, footballers are advertising Brown Ale or Reg Vardy.

Test cricketers are sporting Vodafone labels. Sometimes it is Yorkshire Tea.

The Test Match ground is covered with adverts for nPower, The Times, NatWest, Hero Honda and Malaysia Airlines. Even the umpire has Fly Emirates on his back.

Shearer has Shearer on his back, which is understandable, but the Indian cricketers must all be brothers called Sahara. They even show their bats to the camera. Gunn & Moore or Britannia.

Everybody sponsors something. Doesn't anybody belong to himself any more? - J Ross, Rowlands Gill.

FIRE SERVICE

IT may be sensible for firefighters to look a little further than the immediate future as their pay claim is negotiated. A strike by firefighters is not the same as other industrial disputes as, in this case, lives can be lost as well as property destroyed.

They have now almost 100 per cent support from the general public because the job they do can be dangerous as they put their own lives at risk.

As was the case in their last strike, public sympathy begins to wane for them as time proceeds and is moved to the soldiers operating the Green Goddesses as they put their lives in jeopardy.

The letter by Ian Moore (HAS, Sept 5) on the working week needs clarifying. He states that firefighters work two day shifts and two night shifts a week which leaves three days off, but if that is the rota, then one shift is on nights every weekend and one on days every weekend for their 30 years service.

As there are now four shifts (when the fire service was denationalised there were only two) so a rota would have to be divisible by four, so does that mean they are on duty for two day shifts, two night shifts and four days off? - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

FOX HUNTING

IF Tony Blair and his Government manage to turn a million law-abiding citizens into criminals by banning fox hunting, I would be intrigued to see how he intends to police the situation as, if recent news reports are anything to go by, our police force is now under-resourced, tied up in red tape and buried in paperwork.

However, if we assume that Mr Blair can actually find and fund the tens of thousands of extra rural officers required to police a ban, I would also be fascinated to see exactly whom they will arrest. Will it be the hunt master? Anyone on horseback, or perhaps just unlucky enough to be wearing a red coat whilst out riding?

What about the hunt followers? Will he open new countryside courthouses to deal with the thousands of miscreants each Monday morning? - A Ruff, Ellingham, Northumberland.

SEPTEMBER 11

THIS week sees the anniversary of an event that changed the world and my thoughts are with those who were there, those that survived and those who lost loved ones, especially to those who talked them through the final moments.

It is hard enough losing someone without having the agony of reliving the conversations over and over again.

What the world witnessed, in shock and disbelief, a year ago was an attack on the civilised world by cowardly fanatics who have no place in any civilised country.

Whatever their politics, religion or cause and for whatever reason they try and hide behind, it can have no justification for the atrocities that they committed.

To those who jumped up in glee and laughed when the atrocities happened, I say to them in celebrating this you have shown that you have no respect for life and therefore there is no place for you or your kind in any civilised country. - Bryan J Allen, Newcastle upon Tyne.