End of road for car factory

Sir, It really should not have come as a great surprise to find another foreign car manufacturer pulling out of Great Britain (report, April 19). We have only ourselves to blame. That our national car industry, not so long ago arguably the finest in the world, should have been allowed to be reduced to zero is a disgrace.

Initially dealt a major blow by concerted union strikes, the motor manufacturing industry saw its problems compounded by the failure of successive governments to ensure forward-thinking management for our principal car brands, and to ensure investment for this part of our economy.

Governments should, too, have encouraged our people to have pride in our car industry and to choose to buy British.

Now we just have to rely on the kindness of Japanese manufacturers to employ our hapless car workers, with no national car business of our own to rely on. No doubt there will again be much dismay when that dwindling number of overseas manufacturers also decides to pull the plug, as surely they will.

RAY SIMONS

Banstead, Surrey

Sir, Let this be a warning for the plethora of blue-chip British companies which have sold their business or assets to foreign competitors. Whatever assurances may be given about continuity of employment in the Undertakings concerned, ultimately they will be at the mercy of their new owners, who will tend to favour their own economies when decisions about investments or closures are made. In recent months much of the cream of British industry has been sold, including world leaders such as Pilkington, P&O, BPB and British Aerospace's Airbus holding. Before long, I fear, these too will go the way of Ryton.

PETER NIXON

Richmond, Surrey

Real men mustn’t grumble about emotions

Sir, it has been some time since I read something that I agreed with so wholeheartedly. Carol Sarler makes her point perfectly ("Oh do stop blubbing and shut up", April 20). The culture of blame is the cause of a lot of bad in society today. It seems ridiculous that previous generations have had life much worse than us; wars, poverty, disease and generally a lower quality of life. It seems the transition from then to now has turned us into spoilt little brats, out for everything we can get and unable to deal with anything out of the ordinary.

As Carol said, "pull your self together".

RUSSELL BRYAN

[e-mail]

Sir, Carol Sarler landed a firm blow to the weak chin of our hysterical society. For some time now, we have been instructed to let out all our feelings.

People such as my father had much more subtle ways of dealing with trauma. Trying to get information from him about the Normandy landings was virtually impossible. He would always reduce it to the absurd.

"I told my mate, George, who was a bit seasick, that they'd give us a cup of tea when we got the gun ashore. They didn't. They sent us a mile up a lane and told us to start belting away. After a couple of hours, the barrel was red hot and we still hadn't had a cup of tea." And that was about it.

My Uncle Tom was even drier. I knew that as a naval gunner on a merchant ship he had been torpedoed at least twice. When, at last, I thought I had him in the mood to talk about it, he said: "Well, we weren't far. Off Newfoundland when Hitler said: 'Varden, that's far enough for you', and down we went."

These men weren't repressed, dour or uptight. They were amusing – and amused by – the ridiculous joke that is life. Fortunately, I suspect that there are still more about like them than we think. We all have sympathy for those who suffer – but big boys don't cry.

PETER VARDEN

Ashby de la Zouch, Leics

Sir, as a former colleague of Major General Andrew Ritchie, I can vouch that any suggestion (Carol Sarler, April 20) that he is retiring from the Army, either because of stress or because of "fears for his health" is absolute nonsense. General Ritchie's tour of duty at Sandhurst was somewhat longer than the norm, which is a testament to the high esteem in which he was, and is, held at the most senior levels in the Army. During the course " of last year, he was offered, and has accepted, the opportunity to become the principal of a leading college-of further education, which shares many of the values and standards for which Sandhurst is famed, and which he has done much to uphold. That General Ritchie should have been offered such a post bears witness to the manner in which he has commanded the Royal Military Academy over the past 31/2 years, and to the way in which society should value the experience and expertise of senior officers in the armed forces.

HEW BALFOUR

Dunbar, East Lothian

Sir, Carol Sarler's advice to men to "pull themselves together" and "bottle it all up" really is old-fashioned nonsense.

Many of the health problems we have in this country are as a result of men doing what she recommends. We have a significant issue with the under-diagnosis of depression and other mental health problems in men, simply because too many men still think that they can't admit to them.

We'd have happier men, happier families and more productive workplaces if men could talk a little more about how they felt, to each other, to their partners and to their doctors.

Men's tendency to bottle up their feelings behind a macho facade of bravura leads to worsening health problems. For many men, simply talking about health is difficult, especially when it comes to sensitive issues. So let's encourage men to be much more open about their health problems and not to shut it all up.

PETER BAKER

Chief Executive, Men's Health Forum