Sir, The pendulum is swinging, as Lucia van der Post seems to confirm (T2, June 20), from the mute acceptance of a surly and aggressive ill-mannered lifestyle, to something rather better.
To use a vulgar expression, the Campaign for Courtesy is gobsmacked: we never really expected to succeed. There is, however, a distinction between etiquette and courtesy.
Etiquette is about social form: a volatile and ever-changing scene. Genuine good manners are what Lucia van der Post describes rightly as “treating other people with kindness and courtesy” in a way that makes a difference to our daily lives.
IAN G. GREGORY
(Founder, The Campaign for Courtesy)
ian@congist.fsnet.co.uk