Marina Hyde and John Crace have been unmissable for their take on recent events in Downing Street and the Met police. But on Friday, Vlad did it backwards and in heels (Cryptic crossword, 11 February), centring on George Washington’s reputed admission of truthfulness. Whether readers do cryptic crosswords or not, I urge them to read the clues for this extraordinary encapsulation of the same events.Clare Smedley Rudyard, Staffordshire

The recorder can also sound beautiful in modern music, eg Fool on the Hill by the Beatles, Ruby Tuesday by the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven (Letters, 11 February).John Rix Rugby, Warwickshire

I welcome the opening (finally) of the Post Office public inquiry (‘I knew something was wrong’: first witness in Post Office hearing breaks down, 14 February). But can someone please explain to me why this is a public inquiry rather than a police investigation? Peter Hughes Newton, Cambridgeshire

I worked at Whitechapel library in London (Letters, 9 February) in 1967-69. A few years ago, I booked a meal at Angela Hartnett’s Whitechapel restaurant. Imagine my surprise to find that not only was my office now a restaurant but the card catalogue held the cutlery.Moira Gray Newcastle upon Tyne

At the risk of propelling mushrooms into the same arena as those once-popular 35mm film canisters, could I suggest replacing the small knob of butter (Letters, 11 February) with a healthy squirt of mayonnaise?Mark Hainge Hay-on-Wye, Powys