Leslie Grofton's labyrinthine defence of noise (Letters, August 10) misses the point. If nine people in a room want and make noise, and the tenth doesn't, the tenth doesn't spoil it for the nine. But if nine people in the room want quiet and the tenth doesn't and is noisy, the tenth does spoil it for the other nine. Keeping noise "in place" is never the same as keeping silence in place.
John Powell Ward
University of Wales, Swansea