A letter from M.W. Ovenden, University of British Columbia, 25 July 1969, and a copy of Redman's reply, 1 August 1969. The letters concern the article 'Midwife for British Astronomy' by John Maddox, 'Nature', 28 June 1969, which suggested that the Isaac Newton Telescope be moved to the Mediterranean or Canada. Ovenden briefs Redman on problems arising over the Mount Kobau site, encloses statistics of the image-motion monitor for 1967 to 1969, and asks if he sees any possibility of cooperation between the United Kingdom and Canada. In his reply Redman outlines the state of British optical astronomy.