The last sentence of the letter from John Marshall (‘Experts don’t have all of the answers’, Have Your Say, June 19) seems odd to me.

What “original” expert does he think is a dying breed?

Was it the one who, over 50 years ago was referred to in a conversation I had with a senior official of the old Staines Urban District Council whose gospel was “common sense is all you need”?

He told me that they often consulted an expert in important matters but always bore in mind that the expert always wanted to please and to keep his well rewarded job, so that he was “X” – the unknown quantity – and “spurt” – a drip under pressure!

There are many true experts in all sorts of trades and professions but like all of us they sometimes fail to observe the need for common sense.

Roy Child Heron Close Preston