The shorter, the better

A belated response to Mary Wakefield’s rather alarming diatribe of May 3 (unfairly aided and abetted by the genius lyrics of Randy Newman) against short people. There are not only great numbers of wonderful, charming and hugely talented short people around – Kylie Minogue, Simon Rattle, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Dawn French – and sadly not around – Mozart, Nelson, Charlotte Brontë (really really tiny) – but a great many excellent short things. How about short stories, cuts, bread, speeches (yes please), skirts (admittedly best with long legs) and (devoutly to be wished if you’re a politician) memories? Less good are short tempers, change and sight but you can’t have everything.