Meal on wheels

SIR – Forty years ago, my father, Colonel “Dickie” Bird, was the British defence attaché to Sudan.

Every Christmas, our landlord sent a live turkey from Port Sudan to our official residence in Khartoum using one of the super-lorries which transported goods inland from the Red Sea coast (Letters, November 24).

Unlike these lorries’ human passengers, who perched uncomfortably on top of the cargo, our turkey travelled in first-class splendour on the front passenger seat.

It was probably the freshest Christmas turkey we’ve ever eaten. Leslie Glegg

Garstang , Lancashire