When Lord Falconer has finished sweeping away arcane and esoteric language from the law, perhaps he will turn his attention to the building industry, and persuade it that architrave, baluster, coping, flaunching, finial, mezzanine, mullion, pilaster, sarking felt, soffit, voussoir and wainscot could all be consigned to the spoil.

And perhaps he could also persuade builders that doing building work for free is for the public good.


Alan E England, Wilkinson & Co, Portsmouth