SIR - I note that Jim Greenhalf (T&A, Saturday Essay, May 12) has joined the end of the world is nigh' right-wing screwballs, the revived Roman Empire and all that.

To be fair I've only recently read two books on the very same. They make it clear that world conditions are now right for the Antichrist, Armageddon, and the return of Christ to save us from ourselves - civil unrest, rising crime, badly-behaved children, weather conditions and wars and rumours of wars.

One of them was written in the 1950s, the other in the 1880s. Things never change.

Those biblical scribes knew how to keep us all on our toes, the old carrot and big stick has never been bettered.

Regarding the EU budget, according to the figures Jim chose to use, in 30 years we have a deficit of £75.8 billion. Small fry when you consider we get around a hundred billion in trade every year and that most of the budget goes into creating the conditions, particularly in the new member states, that will increase that trade.

Re-enter the real world, Jim.

Eric Firth, Wellington Street, Wilsden