Sherry and bulls
From Mrs M. W. Watkins Sir: May I congratulate you on the very enlightening article (September 27) describing the hospitality enjoyed by British journalists as guests of the Domecq family in Spain?
Many Spaniards have been puzzled by the hundreds of items on bullfighting which appear annually in the British press. The article will interest them!
For years the tendentious publicity given to the show has influenced countless British tourists to contribute to the profits of the Domecqs and other bull farmers who make fabulous fortunes breeding bulls for the corridas.
Since the Domecqs allowed their guests to see "un-English things like teasing cows" I feel guests should have been permitted to see matadors practising the "moment of truth" (slaughtering with a sword) in abattoirs. The captive cattle endure repeated sword thrusts and take a long time to die while matadors perfect what Hemingway called a "virile art form." Practice in slaughterhouses is an important part of every mataaor's training.
Mrs M. W. Watkins Moore Park, Cardross, Dunbartonshire
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