DUNCAN Ferguson's timely Agenda piece on the decline of Latin in Scottish schools ("We should cherish role of Latin in our education", The Herald, March 19) awakened fond memories of the Latin class at Dingwall Academy in the middle of last century.

I recall being issued with a textbook whose title, Easy Latin Prose, had been amended by a waggish previous user to Greasy, Eating Brose. Quite appropriate, really. In those days, Latin and oatmeal were staple ingredients of our intellectual and physical formation.

Kenneth D MacDonald,

5 Henderland Road, Bearsden.