What has happened to the enjoyment of recreational sports? Many participants now seem to focus solely on achieving specific goals, such as personal bests, number of laps, or distance covered. Despite physical discomfort, individuals push through, often questioning why they do so. Is the drive fueled by a desire for recognition? As a 77-year-old who has always been passionate about sports and exercise, I struggle to comprehend the reasoning behind willingly risking one’s health in the pursuit of athleticism.

My perspective on the blue ticks feature in WhatsApp contrasts with others’ views. During the pandemic, I found great comfort in seeing a blue tick next to messages from a family member who was isolated and unwell with Covid; it reassured me that they were still alive.

Patrick Barkham’s fondness for woodlice may diminish if he shared my experience of finding them devouring his strawberries daily in the allotment.

Your Country Diary column is consistently enlightening, and I urge readers to engage with it more interactively. I conceal the author’s name before reading and then guess whether it was penned by a man or a woman, achieving accuracy 99% of the time. This is not meant to undermine the writers’ contributions.

Regarding the article titled “From The Wizard of Oz to Trainspotting: 25 Films to Watch Before You Turn 25,” I believe whoever compiled this list has a rather optimistic view of the publication’s readership.

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