When my father died in 1982, I retrieved the liquid assets box (green, metal, with a lock) on a string, hooked to the back of a cupboard. In it were cigar tins labelled Insurance, Holiday and Electric, with a sum of money in each (liquid assets makes shock comeback amid 4.6% annual rise in ATM withdrawals, 7 January).
Mike Morris
London

Besides being the basis of many languages, a knowledge of Latin, plus ancient Greek (Letters, 8 January), is at the root of solving Guardian crosswords – just look at the aliases of history and now setters: Araucaria, Arachne, Audreus and Auster – and that’s just those beginning with an A.
Tom Stubbs
Surbiton, London

Sally Smith’s mother missed a trick with her pink rabbit birthday treat made out of strawberry jelly with evaporated milk (Letters, 7 January). My witty mam did the chopped-jelly grass like hers, but would sprinkle currant “droppings” at its backside.
Julia Phillips
Combe Down, Somerset

Rafael Behr, in his excellent piece (view, 8 January), says that the Tory event must discover a solemn chief. Why must they? I am rather enjoying the seemingly endless conveyor belt of chancers and buffoons that have been in fee.
Rod worth
Mollington, Oxfordshire

Re factchecking being ditched by Facebook (update, 7 January): Comment is free … but facts scare them (with apologies to CP Scott).
Austen Lynch
Garstang, Lancashire