Ministers ignore school policies that would actually work Sir: Busing is one of the most highlighted failures in American public policy of the latter half of the 20th century ("Kelly to 'bus' poor children to schools in wealthy areas", 18 October). We have also made a small payment to Mr Paul Gascoigne, following references to the "Gazzer strip".In a summer cookery special we said the following:"The main shortcomings of British cooking can be summed up in one word: Crewe Station."This should have been:"The main shortcomings of British cooking can be summed up in one word: crustacean."We have agreed to change trains at Crewe in future.In May earlier this year, there appeared the following in a short piece on Buddhism:"Practitioners say that almost any state of mind can be achieved after half a dozen years of medication."We think this should have read:"Practitioners say that almost any state of mind can be achieved after half a dozen years of meditation."We have slipped a few bob into a Buddhist collecting bowl in Oxford Street.We referred recently to the outstanding British novelist Julie Anne Barnes. The person responsible has been fired.Due to a copytaking misunderstanding in July, we wrote:"The political scene is now dominated by the ceaseless barrage of detonations."This should have read:"The political scene is now dominated by the ceaseless barrage of debtor nations."We would like to apologise to all debtor nations, and have agreed to cancel all their personal debts to us.In March this year we wrote:"For the British public, the greatest turning point of the Boer War was the announcement, in March 1902, of the Relief of Zadiesmith."This should, of course, have read:"For the British public, the greatest turning point of the Boer War was the announcement, in March 1902, of the Relief of Ladysmith."We apologise for the error and have paid a small amount to a charity of Zadie Smith's choosing.In a travel article which appeared earlier in the spring, we mistakenly printed the following:"After a few weeks spent travelling in Mexico, what chiefly occupies the visitor is not the grandeur of the church architecture, or the colourfulness of native culture, but the persistent presence round every street corner of the maddening and hideously grating sound of Mary Archer."This was not what the writer wrote, which was:"After a few weeks spent travelling in Mexico, what chiefly occupies the visitor is not the grandeur of the church architecture, or the colourfulness of native culture, but the persistent presence round every street corner of the maddening and hideously grating sound of mariachi."We have paid a large contribution to a charity of Mary Archer's choice.In a political article two weeks ago, we firmly predicted the following:"However strong and powerful Israel seems to be now, everything points to the Palestinians taking no more than 50 years to regain complete control of Gozo."This should, of course, have read:"However strong and powerful Israel seems to be now, everything points to the Palestinians taking no more than 50 years to regain complete control of Gaza."We have agreed to make a private donation to the pocket of a Maltese cabinet minister. Everyone these days seems to have an Apologies and Corrections section, so today we are going to have one too. In our serialisation of the new Ian McEwan novel in February this year, we wrote the following: "The rain was coming down in steroids."This should, of course, have been:"The rain was coming down in stair rods."Sorry, Ian. Through hard work, and chutzpah, they've made art accessible for all More from Janet Street-Porter.
Art has become part of the water-cooler agenda.I don't expect the Prime Minister to be attending anything remotely artistic this weekend, but he could perhaps pen a letter of thanks to Matthew and Amanda for bringing millions of pounds of revenue into Britain in a thoroughly enjoyable and positive way.Hotels will be full, restaurants packed to bursting, bars thriving and taxi drivers smiling. They haven't had to engage "celebrities", like VisitBritain, the authority for tourism in Britain, does, in order to try to sell a theme-park version of our country to foreigners. Now, every retailer from Selfridges to Harvey Nichols wants to work with artists, and everyone in the street has an opinion about the new statue in Trafalgar Square. Wealthy contemporary art collectors like Judith and Richard Greer (with a Sarah Lucas and a Gavin Turk in their chill-out room) said recently they bought art because they liked talking to artists - they found them fun to hang out with.
A few years ago, people thronged to the opening of the Versace shop in Bond Street - George Michael even graced this palace to garish opulence with his presence and one floor was set aside for VIPs to chat in private. We are still producing talented designers from our thriving art colleges, but their chosen profession is in decline.Fashion is still fun, but in a peripheral way - you can shop at Tesco, buy a handbag over the internet, and still get a shot of style, without feeling you've got to make a major investment by ditching last summer's boho look for this winter's military greatcoat or be considered totally sad. All the creative excitement seems to have slipped from fashion right past the moribund music industry and focused instead on art - going to look at it, buying it at these egalitarian Ideal Home-style exhibitions, watching telly programmes about it and reading about the mad antics of the people who do it.When even the Beckhams own a Damien Hirst, you know it won't be long before every chav in the land will have Tracey's new book when it comes out in paperback, to match their Julien Opie print in the lounge. Not all, but most, of our leading designers work for companies with foreign owners or are based abroad, and have decided for economic reasons to show their collections in Paris or New York.At the same time, our fashion retailers are going through their worst period for some time - suddenly no one is that interested in changing their coats and shoes just because an irritatingly snooty fashion editor has issued a diktat. Seasons are so pass?hese days, my dears, as many of the leading designers opt for "continuity" - always a sign of a recession.
