IN Sharon Griffith’s column (Echo, June 24), Lisa Duncan asked if parachute silk was being used to make items of clothing in 1944. Yes, it was. Mrs Duncan is under the impression it was from new parachutes, which could have put lives at risk, but I understood it was from used parachutes.

A friend I was writing to in the Canadian Army wrote to say he was having a scarf made for me from some of the material. He had already sent one to his sister in Canada. This was in 1944 but, unfortunately, he was killed in action.

However, his sister, Mary, started writing to me and a regular correspondence developed. We never met until 1992 when her daughter invited me over. Her daughter had visited us in England and we now correspond with her on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, Mary died a few year ago. She also had another daughter and even though we haven’t met, she also writes on a regular basis. They are a very close-knit family and I get all the news of their goings on from one or the other.

There is something personal about letter writing.

Unfortunately, it is getting difficult to buy writing pads.

Mrs M Elliott, Ingleton, near Darlington.