As a paid-up member of the FoF (Friends of FErret) club, I often smile at FErret’s fumblings in the FE underground, even when my own college is under the microscope. (“Commiserations to students at Richmond upon Thames College, who suffered a nightmare when a fire broke out, gutting a workshop”, 1 April).

I must point out that the combined efforts of the local fire brigade and the fact that work is stored in secure metal lockers meant that, although practical work was lost, photographs of that work had already been captured in students’ portfolios, to which, thankfully, the damage was minimal.

We live to (fire)fight another day.

David Ansell, principal, Richmond upon Thames College.