MR. BANFIELD’S letter of Wednesday struck a chord, albeit a lost one. War is of course highly horrendous and should not be entered into lightly. On the other hand, war games such as the re-enactments to which he refers are exactly what they say on the tin – games; not to be taken too seriously. One needs to keep a sense of proportion.

Hobbies are essentially a form of self-entertainment which, on occasion, can be presented to a wider audience. They need not be accompanied by an overwhelming sense of guilt – it tends to spoil the fun. And without fun, what’s the point? Paintball, anybody?

Julian R. Powell Larch Grove Newport