Readers reflect on the writer’s legacy after the publication of his last regular weekly column for the Guardian after 41 years on the staff How much I shall miss Martin Kettle, even while I disagree with him ( The world of today looks bad, but take hope: we’ve been here before and got through it – and we will again, 15 January ). Last August, hundreds of union flags were fastened to our streetlamps overnight and without permission. Demonstrators at our market clock with a Palestinian flag were regularly abused. So, in the first week of January, some Quakers hosted a meeting of political and religious leaders to discuss the growing incivility of political discourse. The pro-Palestinian group leader was followed by the Reform parliamentary candidate. Then various contributors from other parties and local churches spoke at length about what we had in common. A retired diplomat concluded that Britain is resilient. We are still more tolerant than most others. . The local vicar emphasised a “clear, common concern to express differences with tolerance and kindness”. There was no point in holding a plenary, so the final 20 minutes, we all spoke to our neighbours about why we had come and what we had learned. Frozen winter turned to thaw. Geof Sewell Thirsk, North Yorkshire Continue reading...