Latest news with #coldcallers
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Divine intervention against cold callers
Years ago I decided to interrupt cold callers (Letters, 11 May) and say: 'Just a minute. Let us pray. O heavenly Father, who sees into our hearts. You will know when we are involved in an activity whereby we are trying to dupe an elderly lady out of all of her savings. In the light of this, I know that when I die I will be condemned to hell for an eternity. Amen.' I would then quietly put down the receiver. (One repeated 'Amen' after me.) It has worked. I no longer get cold MatthewsShipley, West Yorkshire The story of the miscarriage of justice that wrongly imprisoned Peter Sullivan for 38 years is difficult to grasp (Peter Sullivan has murder conviction quashed after 38 years in jail, 13 May). The court sketch of Peter by Julia Quenzler did more to convey the tragedy of his story than anything I've read. A testimony to her empathy and RewLondon I find myself in even greater difficulty. Not only am I considered to be a 'citizen of nowhere', living in 'an island of strangers' (Letters, 14 May), but, coming from a coal-mining family and community, I am also 'the enemy within'. Leslie BeaumontCroston, Lancashire I'm white and have lived on this island all my life. I don't want to integrate with people who hold the same negative attitudes towards migrants as Keir Starmer spouted this week. They will always be strangers to me – and me to PriceNewcastle upon Tyne There would be an outcry if the UK government took a 15% stake in, say, the Telegraph or the Sun. So it cannot be right to permit foreign states to do so (Report, 15 May).David MurrayWallington, London Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
The Guardian
08-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Leave them hanging on the telephone
Regarding dealing with cold callers (Adrian Chiles, 7 May), it's irritating I know, but if you don't mind your phone being inaccessible for a few minutes, why not say: 'Hang on, I'll go and get him/her', and then leave your phone until the caller rings off? At least you will have wasted some of their WalkerPerrancoombe, Cornwall Re fostering a love of reading in children (Letters, 6 May), one of my fondest memories of my teaching career was story time in the infant class in a local village school. Most of the children came quite a distance on buses. They adored Michael Rosen's poetry. There were many afternoons when it was home time and they would shout: 'Please read another Michael Rosen one, Mrs Mansfield, the driver won't mind waiting.' What a privilege to teach them. Janet Mansfield Aspatria, Cumbria Your article (How to create a more eco-friendly lawn, 6 May) advises us to reduce our environmental impact by swapping a petrol mower for an electric one. Better advice would be to choose a push mower – beneficial to the environment and the owner's physical DavisWeymouth, Dorset It didn't take long for the 'quick' beginners cryptic crossword to become fiendish. Please have mercy on us older learners who take longer to get up to KelsoFrome, Somerset Re digestives (Letters, 6 May), other biscuits are Prower Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire Do you have a photograph you'd like to share with Guardian readers? If so, please click here to upload it. A selection will be published in our Readers' best photographs galleries and in the print edition on Saturdays.
