All the books on writing style that I possess satisfy me that R.Hedges is mistaken in his view that "it's" should not be used in writing except when directly reporting speech. He referred to this "convention" in a letter to the Editor published in last week's Oxford Times, suggesting that the anonymous correspondent who circled an "it's" in a piece of mine and wrote "phew" in the margin was possibly concerned that I was in breach of it. The Editor, as it happens, shares his opinion that there is such a 'convention', but would very properly have permitted access to our lively forum for debate even if he hadn't. "Don't you mean 'had not'?", R.Hedges would urge. Of course, I did, but to have written it this way would have spoiled the rhythm of the sentence.

We all have our own ideas about what constitutes 'good writing'. Another reader, for example, thought that my own good writing might have attracted the admiration of the anonymous correspondent. She emailed: "A circled "it's" with a "phew" in the margin suggests to me someone's expression of relief that you got the thing right in a tricky situation, not a criticism. Could you have misinterpreted the comment? (No, I wasn't your original correspondent)." Dismissing this comforting notion, I replied: "Thank you for your interest. Your theory would make sense, except that a year or so ago I had another 'letter', addressed in the same hand, containing a clipping with three or four alleged mistakes circled in a similar way. They weren't mistakes, either."

Whether or not it's advisable to use "it's" and other contractions ("there's", "haven't", "you've" and "I'm", for instance) is a subject dealt with in most books on grammar and style. It would be tedious for you (and me) if I were to quote at length from them, so here are just a few sentences offered for the consideration of R. Hedges and my Editor.

In his 1996 update of Fowler's Modern English Usage, the distinguished Oxford lexicographer Robert Burchfield writes: "Contractions are exceedingly common in informal writing and increasingly found in various kinds of formal contexts (e.g. in book reviews). Fluctuation in the use of reduced forms is subject to all manner of social and stylistic assumptions which vary from one century to another."

The Oxford Guide to Style (OUP, 2002) the arbiter of what is and what is not permissible in print offers: "Common verbal contractions . . . are perfectly acceptable in less formal writing I think Gray Matter qualifies as that, and are frequently found (and may be kept) even in academic works." Bloomsbury's The Good Word Guide (editor Martin H.Manser) advises: "Contractions are generally acceptable in all but the most formal writing."

For a final thought on 'good writing' in general, I turn to Samuel Johnson. He advised: "Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison."

And what does Joseph Addison say that is instructive in this matter? He says this: "There is sometimes a greater judgement shewn in deviating from the rules of art, than in adhering to them; and . . . there is more beauty in the works of a great genius who is ignorant of all the rules of art, than in the works of a little genius, who not only knows but scrupulously observes them."

Roses were much on my mind on Sunday. At lunchtime, I joined my old friend Robert Mattock at the Antique Rose Show, as he styled it, at Longworth. In the evening, I helped plant a rose in my garden in Osney. Another old friend was involved in this too his ashes went beneath it.

Rose-grower Robert's search for the lost blooms of Oxfordshire proved a convivial business, with a delicious lunch of smoked salmon and roast beef served for his guests in the Blue Boar, much enlarged by owner Paul Dailey since I was last there. I was delighted to be included earlier in a village walkabout with rosarian Bridget Quest-Ritson and Nigel Drew, whose family formerly ran a rose-growing business there. Nigel, a Somerset-based lawyer, had a further reason to be in Oxfordshire, since he was picking up his student son from Corpus Christi College.

After lunch, there was just time to stop at Hills Nurseries, near Appleton, (lovely spaniels!) before joining Rosemarie and our neighbour Sue Lloyd in 'planting Norman', using a ceremonial spade which was once wielded by R's late dad to 'open' an archaeological site. Norman Dix, one-time University College boatman, lived where I now do until his death in 2004. Beneath his own special rose overlooking a tributary of his beloved Thames, he has now come 'home' again.