Brush with readers’ big hearts nails what makes us great

THE generosity and thoughtfulness of readers never ceases to amaze me.

I wrote some time ago about the poor quality of plastic nail brushes, and the way the bristles fall out after not very long.

And I bewailed the loss of the good old wooden ones that last longer and are more environmentally sound.

But I couldn’t find such a thing in my local shops, settling instead for another plastic brush.

So imagine my pleasure at getting a present in a letter from Bryn Jones, of Maerdy, Ferndale, in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales.

“I enclose such a brush, available at Home Bargains, for the princely sum of 35p. I hope it serves you well,” he writes.

Well that’s a turn-up for the books. Have no fear, Bryn, it’s already in service and doing the job. Clean fingernails to show teacher, like we had to do at school.

By almost the next post, another! Mel (I think I read her writing correctly, apologies if I don’t) Boustead, of Louth, Lincs, writes: “A little while back you commented about having trouble finding nail brushes. Well, in my local hardware shop in Alford, I found this for you. Enjoy!”

I think I know the shop you mean, Mel. We’ve had holidays in that part of

Lincolnshire, and visited Alford. Pretty, a bit sleepy (but all the better for that).

Fancy, the trouble that these two good people have gone to: finding a wooden brush, writing and posting to me.

It restores my faith in my generation – to which I surmise both belong.

Thank you, Bryn and Mel for helping me on my way.

That’s the joy of working for a newspaper that rightly calls itself The Heart of Britain.