Letters, contributions and comments sent in from Times’ readers this week.

Do you recall my father?

Che O’Grady, daughter of Leroy Harewood, a former journalist at the West Indian World, writes:

My dad, Leroy Harewood, a member of the Windrush generation, was also one of the first Black men to attend Warwick University. I’m currently working on a documentary about his life; I’d love to get in touch with anyone who may have memories about him and/or articles that he wrote.

Unfortunately, my dad died when I was 16 so I never got to ask him about his 30 plus years in England.

I’ve attached a photograph. He may have used a pen name instead of his legal name so if you or someone you know recognises him from the photo, please get in contact.

You can reach me via my website at cheogrady.com

Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing from you!

Halloween

Trevor Ellis, Chalk Hill Road, Wembley, writes:

I really think that it’s wrong for children to be taught to wear blood-soaked clothes on October 31 in line with the custom known as Halloween, even when it is in aid of a charitable cause.

Further to that, was it right to have a photo on the front page of the Brent&Kilburn Times (October 29) accompanying an article about fundraising for refugees, of two young girls, one wearing a shirt stained with fake blood, while holding what seems to be a weapon to the chest of the other?

Yesterday (October 29), three people were brutally murdered in Nice and the suspect was described as a 21-year-old man.

Closer to home, a boy, aged 15, was stabbed to death and a second person was hospitalised in a south London graveyard.

I’ve no doubt that the next of kin of the victims will be grieved beyond measure and yet every year the reality of violence is exploited for profit and depicted as ‘fun’ but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

I’m not (forgive my choice of phrase) a killjoy, and I’m all for making time for a bit of fun, but surely a line should be drawn when the reality of violence is portrayed as ‘fun’ and even used as grounds for fundraising while businesses exploit Halloween each year for profit.