Nicholas Davenport
Sir: In the Spectator of 11 January, Pereg- rine Worsthorne properly lamented the decline of journalistic flair in economic writing. He measured the fall in quality against great names: Keynes, Robbins, Harrod, Crowther, Schwarz — but surely the Spectator's own star belongs in that constellation. Nicholas Davenport had just the knowledge, wit and knack of exposi- tion that is rare nowadays. He sustained a glittering standard in your journal for more than 25 years.
He survived nine editors and was asking for more space than usual in the week's issue of his death on 26 May 1979. The consistent quality of his commentaries was a matchless achievement in economic jour- nalism. Under weekly pressure for almost six decades, his flow of ideas and elegant prose lost neither wit nor boldness, neither originality nor radicalism.
Peter Parker
The Garrick Club, London WC2
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