Letter: Let the Wren soar above a piazza in Paternoster Square

From Mr Michael Helston

Sir: This letter is really only to support Jonathan Glancey in his criticisms of the Prince of Wales, whose interventions, while no doubt well-meant, are misplaced and ill-conceived, a classic case of a little learning being a dangerous thing.

If I do have any view on the St Paul's scheme, it is that a proper competition should be held and that this should be neither rushed nor delayed excessively. It is important to generate a sense of urgency and tension without approaching panic.

Having said that, it is salutary to recall that competitions (the Sainsbury Wing, for example) are not always happy affairs in the UK: whereas less democratic commissions (Waterloo International) often work out better.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Helston

London, E8

8 January