Sir – As one who got the Christmas present in 2011 of cancer, I should like to thank the respiratory and oncology teams at the Churchill Hospital as well as the Geoffrey Harris ward for ‘saving the day’, even if ‘hidden’ from the wider world.

Sometimes one appreciates the special moments in life too: Ronaldo’s second goal for Portugal was inspiring, as well as the Greek election leading to change and transformation: brilliance in the arenas of public life.

Peter Galpin, Oxford