One of the good things to come out of lockdown this year was the return to more traditional past-times, such as bread-making, gardening and letter writing. My sister and I picked up pen and paper (as did our children) to share letters, stickers, encouragement, LEGO people (that was the kids, not us!) anything really. But then lock down ended and so did our written correspondence. I wish it hadn't so I'm going to pick up the pen and paper and start writing again. And I encourage you to take up this delightful past-time as it connects us to so many of the great writers and thinkers of the past. We get so much of our information about life in the past from letters written. Some of my favourite classic letters are personal ones. For example, Napoleon Bonaparte's love letters to Josephine de Beauharnais (be warned these can get pretty steamy!) and ones from parents to their children, often containing advice (such as Lorenzo de Medici to his son Giovanni after he arrives in...