Dr Nicholas Russell responds to a review by Edward Posnett and reflects on the pioneering work of his father and his business partner, Peter Hobbs

I was pleased to read Edward Posnett’s review (19 February) of Tim Minshall’s Your Life Is Manufactured . Little attention is currently paid to manufacturing, perhaps because it comprises only 8% of British GDP.

The opening of the review focuses on the domestic kettle, Posnett emphasising that the “tocks” of automatic kettles switching off are as significant for us as the nightingale’s song was for John Keats. But despite this cultural significance, no electric kettles are made in Britain now.

Internet calling service that disrupted landline industry to close in May as tech giant says it will focus on Teams

Skype will ring for the last time on 5 May as owner Microsoft retires the two-decade-old internet calling service that redefined how people connect across borders.

Shutting down Skype will help Microsoft focus on its homegrown Teams service by simplifying its communication offerings, the office software giant said on Friday.

Our wildlife series Young Country Diary is looking for articles written by children, about their spring encounters with nature

Once again, the Young Country Diary series is open for submissions! Every three months, as the UK enters a new season, we ask you to send us an article written by a child aged 8-14.

The article needs to be about a recent encounter they’ve had with nature – whether it’s a field of early spring flowers, a nest-building bird or a pond full of frogspawn.