AS A correspondent who has had a strong antipathy towards many aspects of the ftr concept, it may seem perverse and even contrary of me, in light of recent correspondence, to say that I actually quite like the colour.

The purple for me evokes the imperial purple of Rome, something of which I'm sure Constantine would have approved. He might even have said something like "superbus est superbus"' (Latin never was my strong point, or indeed even one of my weaker ones!) However, I don't think that he would have left his chariot at home because he'd probably think that ftr stood for "For The Rabble" and emperors didn't mix with the ordinary folk certainly not the natives!

I do hope his horse's emissions were environmentally friendly, but whether or not, they'd at least be good for the roses and rhubarb.

Richard Greaves, Morehall Close, York.