My letter is in reference to the article ‘Older fathers make a better go of parenting’ by Charles Glass, published in the Sunday Mail of October 16.Glass’ many examples of men fathering children when beyond pensionable age, especially his old editor at 73, goes to prove how blinkered and self-centred we are by ignoring the most basic laws of human nature. Men are not like wine that matures beneficially with time, but should aspire to grow old gracefully, contented with leaving behind grandchildren with parents physically capable of fully participating in their recreational activities... Read on

I have been reading, with interest, Patroclos’ recent ramblings on the state of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra. I believe a few things need to be cleared up, as I have a strong feeling that he may have been misinformed. Firstly, my esteemed colleague, the First Bassoonist, lives next to me in a small house in Lakatamia. Quite how Patroclos claimed that he lived in the north is beyond me.  As regards the auditions, the best candidates were selected purely on musical ability, nothing to do with the fact that they are Italian. (Not their fault is it?) ... Read on

I am writing in reponse to the recent Cyprus Mail editorial, entitled ‘Unions must accept there is no way to escape Greek suffering’.It is unfortunate that a comparatively small number of self-centred people can hold a nation to ransom.A main employer (and currency earner) for Greece is the Hospitality industry - in other words: hotels, bars, tavernas, tour and coach companies and so forth.The people working in these  areas have been trying to do their very best under the present arduous circumstances.However, due to these  strikes, many of their potential tourist customers and guests have holidayed elsewhere this year. ... Read on

In response to Loucas Charalambous’ recent comment: ‘Who will save us from the corruption that permeates our lives’, I have the following thoughts to offer:It is the idiots who pay excessive charges for the services of the corrupt doctors and state school teachers who are the culprits, and it is about time the police started sting operations, as they do with drug-related crimes.These doctors and teachers are nothing but common thieves and criminals, and  we pay the price for the anarchy that exists. Yet noone in authority does anything, and only God knows what protection the general public has, as nothing happens to change things... Read on

I was pleasantly relieved when, only hours after the announcement of yet another air controllers’ strike in Athens, I got a call from Cyprus Airways allocating me a seat on the first flight out to Athens, at the end of the 48-hour strike. This was efficiency at its best, considering the strike had not even started. As a frequent flyer with CY though, I do have one suggestion: upon landing in Larnaca in the past, music by Cypriot composers - especially Marios Tokas - would be played over the aircraft speakers, which was very welcoming. Why not reintroduce this? Anna Constantinides,Nicosia... Read on

I cycle to work every day and have been terrorised by cars driving way too close or beeping incessantly if they can’t get past me immediately. The government needs to install proper cycling lanes and educate motorists on how to behave around bikes, rather than victimise cyclists [by proposing to penalise riders for, among other things, cycling on the pavement]. With improved infrastructure for bicycles, perhaps we could address the growing problems of traffic congestion and obesity.  Melanie Lovatt,Commenting via theCyprus Mail website... Read on

READING the statistics in your article on the number of civil servants - one per cent of population in the UK compared to eight per cent in Cyprus - is a real eye-opener.Everyone knows Cyprus has too many civil servants, but I for one never thought the difference was so immense.One way to cull civil service employees would be to test them for computer literacy, and by this I don't mean being able to open public social networks like Facebook and write an e-mail... 2 comments

CYPRUS has recently passed a new law to criminalise certain forms of racism and xenophobia which harmonises Cypriot legislation with the Council of Europe’s decision (2008/913/JHA) of 28 November 2008.Finally, we see some political agreement and a big step in the right direction, even though many probably don’t even know of this new law and many will just adopt the usual attitude of: “Yes, but, it doesn’t apply to me.” Thankfully, younger generations of Cypriots will one day be able to live a life that is up-to-date, whereby different cultures, beliefs, colour, sexual orientation [well not quite!], and possibly other religious beliefs will be deemed more acceptable. ... Read on

CYPRUS has a great and profitable maritime history. Indeed the rest of the world meets here in Cyprus to discuss maritime safety, among other topics. Twinning this rich maritime history with the numerous Cypriot entrepreneurs throughout the world, I wonder why there is still only one way on or off this island: by air. The national air carrier is fast closing as many routes as it can and the price of air travel on the remaining routes is rising at an alarming rate.Is there some magical reason as to why we have no ferry?It appears that, in the north, a flourishing ferry business exists. Why can this not be replicated here in the Republic of Cyprus? It would give everyone the opportunity to choose an alternative to air travel. ... 1 comment

I DON'T know if the Cyprus government will be able to respond to emails within 24 hours when it holds the EU presidency. I know our request last June to take part in the accompanying arts festival still hasn't been answered. Dr Michael Paraskos, director, Cyprus College of Art... Read on