THERE are many memories of Margaret Thatcher and her approach to problems, as they were perceived at the time, about Africa.

If she acted behind the scenes to persuade the white South African Government to release Nelson Mandela, and for pragmatic reasons concede to majority rule, it would have been diplomatically.

I am sure that a good deal of her motivation on the international scene was fear of Communism, something she shared with many in the Labour Party at the time.

Her approach was softer after she encountered Mikhail Gorbachev who, with his policies of perestroika and glasnost, was altering the stance of Soviet policy both at home and abroad.

I noticed the changes taking place when I last visited the Soviet Union when Mr Gorbachev was still in charge.

I met students at Leningrad University who told me that because we in the West are now regarded as friends they could be far more open about the shortcomings in their country.

Mrs Thatcher made a visit a little time later and it could have influence a great deal of her thinking.

Where I had been wrong was not realising that the system there was imploding because I was expecting a more humane expression of Communism and confirmation of what I thought would happen as the country grew in confidence. Mrs Thatcher would have been better informed.

G Bulmer, Billingham.