Wayland Van Hildyck-Smith, of Forde Park, Newton Abbot, writes:

I do not object to criticism because everyone has a right to their own opinion, but I do object when the criticism is incorrect when the complainant has not the knowledge nor done the research to uphold their remarks.

Mr Charnaud (print and digital editions last week) tells us that the Colour Rush is an exact replica of an ancient Hindu festival, but why do we have this, when we are not Hindu? Have we no ethnic festivals of our own?

It is not the same, however, as this festival which I have seen many times. I was brought up in India until the age of ten. It does NOT go round using it as a smoke screen for money grabbing out of persons present, it is a festival held every year on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalgun, a date in March which heralds the beginning of spring.

Miss Wagstaff, who seems to be a person who waves a flag even if she doesn’t know why, seems to have no knowledge whatsoever of the importance to the world of cornstarch without wasting it. There is practically nothing, from heavy industry, farming, foodstuffs both human and animal, pharmaceutical or anything you can think of, that is manufactured that does not use cornstarch in one form or another.

Mr Daniel Robson says succinctly that it promises to be the ’craziest ever seen’, apt words; the OED. says the following of ’crazy’ – ’insane ,or unbalanced as manifested in wild or aggressive behaviour’ typical, as he seems to represent the totally childish actions which will be manifest on Saturday. Surely if you wanted to give to charity you can without this fatuous nonsense?

There is so much good that this wasted two tonnes of cornstarch could have done, it is inexcusable.

Perhaps Miss Wagstaff and Co are hoping to increase the population – I tell you that cornstarch is used in every packed of condoms as a ’non-stick’ agent when removing same from the packet. Just think of the number of condoms to which two tonnes of the cornstarch have been denied. What results!!!

I am told to ’lighten up’; however last time I recall any attempt at ’lightening up’ was in 2015 when a flammable starch based powder fuelled the Formosa Fun Coast explosion in Taiwan.

Despite what you may think I am no floccinaucinihillipillificationist!,