Letters to the Editor

I ENJOYED Eleanor Doughty’s article () on the comeback of the red kite. We had an interesting run in with a particularly dextrous bird at a Henley Royal Regatta picnic last summer. We were enjoying a glass of Champagne before tucking into an array of cheeses. Suddenly, there was a swooping and rush of air and, before we could take stock of what happened, we saw a kite disappearing upwards clutching something in its talons. To our dismay, one of our guests shouted: ‘He’s only taken the Stinking Bishop!’ Obviously, our bird was a cheese connoisseur. Had he taken the Cheddar or the Brie, it would not have been quite so hilarious.