WE will never forget the 5th of November at St Peter’s School, York, as young Master Guy Fawkes was a pupil here. As a result, we never burn a Guy on Bonfire Night.

In 1605, Guy Fawkes - our most infamous and notorious student - orchestrated The Gunpowder Plot with 12 others, including fellow St Peter’s pupils John and Christopher Wright.

These days St Peter’s continues to produce politically-minded Old Peterites, but thankfully they choose the pen over gunpowder.

From politicians to authors, lecturers to world travellers, recent Old Peterite visitors to school have shared their thoughts and ideas with both our school and the wider community through our popular series of free public lectures, of which there are more coming up soon.

Mr Fawkes is back in the news again this season with David Reed’s one-man comedy show, Guy Fawkes, at York Theatre Royal this month, described as ‘a hilarious take on one of the most notorious tales.’

A fascinating free exhibition has also just opened in London, on now until April 2023. ‘Treason: People, Power & Plot’ is a major new collection from The National Archives, Kew, on the history of treason. The exhibition brings iconic archival documents to life, including the notorious letter to Lord Monteagle that tipped off The Gunpowder Plot - believed to be on public show for the first time - alongside other documents about the audacious plot and its aftermath.

At St Peter’s we will take time to gaze at the sombre portrait of Guy Fawkes that hangs in our panelled lobby this November and wonder what Mr Fawkes and his school friend co-conspirators would have made of UK and world politics today?

Lisa Obi, marketing manager,

St Peter’s School,

Clifton, York

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Praise for 'chief Twit' Musk

A FEW familiar siren voices have written to The Press letters page this past week gleefully welcoming Twitter becoming a platform for absolute free speech - regardless of the risks of defamation, racism, misogyny, disinformation and bigotry.

Thankfully, it appears that Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, is coming to terms with the limits of free speech. He is talking with civil rights groups and others to ensure that content is moderated and that people are protected from hatred.

He has agreed that there has to be a process for dealing with people who violate content rules, including Donald Trump.

Meanwhile the Election Integrity Partnership in the US has revealed that six networks linked to China and Iran have been identified as attempting to use Twitter to manipulate the coming US elections, issuing hundreds of thousands of tweets promoting Trump’s lies about stolen elections.

Unmediated ‘Free speech’ that seeks to undermine the principles of democracy or promotes hatred and violence is not an asset to society but a threat. I am glad that Musk appears to be realising this.

Christian Vassie

Blake Court,

Wheldrake, York

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Lobby your MP over social care

THE Government plans to delay measures to help people to afford the care they need.

This would be a cruel breaking of a manifesto pledge and a betrayal of hundreds of thousands of people.

We cannot let them get away with it. It isn’t too late. Lobby your MP and tell them it isn’t fair, social care has waited more than 30 years for reform and must not wait any longer.

Mike Padgham,

Chair, Independent Care Group,

Priory Street,

York