Tough way to find I had the write stuff

LiKE the mail’s Tom Utley, i started my journalistic career at the Tavistock Times as a putupon general dogsbody. my boyfriend at the time played football for Tavistock aFC so, for that reason alone, i was made a sports reporter. i also had to type the editor’s letters on an old Remington typewriter as he dictated them while walking around the office. i worked all hours, including weekends, for very little money. at the end of six months, the editor asked if i still wanted to be a journalist. When i told him that i did, he said i would probably never work so hard again and offered me a job, which i accepted. No pay rise, though — i still had to earn that. i had no regrets as it was my dream job. Margaret Noden, Orihuela, Spain.

Follow-up

THE amusing story about Roy Barraclough brought back memories of when we were members of St James’s drama group in Preston, lancs. We were performing a midsummer Night’s Dream and Roy was playing Oberon. at one rehearsal he ran onto the stage and immediately fell through the platform he was supposed to land on. Fortunately he wasn’t injured. He just kept laughing — as we all did!

B. Ricketts, Bagshot, Surrey.

Wordy Wise

CUTTING HEDGE TECHNOLOGY — electric shears. Antony Dean, Keighley, W. Yorks. NANACONDA — old snake. Mrs Sylvia Dugard, Witney, Oxon. THE CHEQUE’S IN THE PAST — payment is now mostly online. Mrs Valerie Ashton, London N14. TIME AND EMOTION STUDY — these workplace changes are making the workers furious. Russell Gamble, Woodley, Cheshire.

One-line Philosophers

all will be revealed at a nudist convention.

Raj Thein, Isleworth, Middlesex.

NOTHiNG turns a green traffic light red like being late for work; nothing turns a red traffic light green like the urgent need to study a map.

Dave Cullen, Leeds.