SIR - As one who was born and raised in Worcester, let me assure Mike Pryce (Worcester News, January 14) that it was indeed common parlance to refer to former pupils of the Royal Grammar School as "Old Elizabethans." I did not attend that school, yet I was thoroughly acquainted with its Elizabethan connections.

This may have come about because my father and grandfather were signwriters who carried out a great deal of work for the Grammar School. I recollect that annually, the honours lists were taken down and brought to our home for updating. I remember that these were of natural wood inscribed in black Indian ink with a special pen, no easy task. I cannot quite remember whether old English lettering was used but this was a family speciality.

On one occasion, my father experienced some difficulty with one particular letter. His work was always meticulous and he spent a great deal of time correcting it. This made him rather late and he had promised to take me to watch a football match at St George's Lane.

"How much do you get paid for this?" I remember asking. "A ha'penny a letter," came the reply. "Do you realise you have just worked 20 minutes for a ha'penny?" I asked. Dad was normally very placid but he rounded angrily on me. "It's not what I am paid that matters, but the honour of being allowed to do it. That board will be there long after I am dead and gone." Dad died in 1946 . I have never visited the school but I would not be surprised to learn that this is still the case as is much of his other work, notably in Worcester Cathedral.

JOHN HINTON,

Worcester.