Letters to the Editor

New residents, Les gets his just dessert and an updated from Downham

Dear Ray,

As newcomers to the village, we decided to attend the AGM of the Village Pump. What a lovely friendly and welcoming group you all were. We were made most welcome and included in the whole evening. Our thanks go to everyone that was there.

Barbara and Michael Precey

Dear Sir,

In your first article Les, it would be wishful thinking on your part to be lying on a beach with a gorgeous woman! You can carry on dreaming my friend.

Getting down to your next article about Norfolk accents, well! After all these years of living in and around Norfolk people, you have decided that we are an embarrassment to you and even damned lazy. You must be really bored with life to sit and write about people's accents and not have nothing better to do than to run us Norfolk people down. But in your old age, Les, you must either hev' a short memory or a memory lapse! Because, when you wus runnin' a business in Methwold in Norfolk us Norfolk bumpkins wus good enough when it came to taking our money. And us poor old Norfolk bumpkins were good enough to let you into our homes to listen to you run on about different insurances. And now, as you stated in your article, you would'en touch any on 'em with a barge pole. So what that say about you bor' I would'en like to think.

So, in the future, when you are at a lose end and don't know what to write about, don't bother writing at all. And in the future, us Norfolk people might cringe at you walking down the road thinking you're the bees knees when you are just as common as we are! And I will say "watcha bor!" instead of "Hello Les!"

Marion Manning

Dear Ray,

I am still OK living at the above address. But the habit I do not seem to be able to get out of is fortnightly shopping.I guess that is what comes of living in a village for so many years. Some people would probably define it as me wishing that I still lived in Stoke Ferry! But my answer to that is NO! The reason is that there is more for me to do I and, even though I am no better off financially, that doesn't depress me because I have never been fortunate enough to handle big amounts of money. Since joining in with the Salvation Army I have changed my attitude I now know it is better to give than receive.

I have met people who have shown me wads of money; but they are not happy. Happiness comes from the person; not whether you are very rich!

I sometimes wonder why I was left to struggle on without my dear late Mum; rest her soul. But there must have been a reason. So far, whatever I have tried to do in the way of romance, some kind person has stopped me getting any further. So to compensate those dear kind people I will go another way round it as I will with my money problems.

I sat in the kebab shop waiting for my £1 meat, which also contains lettuce, onions, tomatoes, red cabbage and garlic sauce. I overheard this lady and gent talking. She was a free agent and he was divorced, married and then divorced again! I said to the lady, "There is always a way round the situation", and she agreed.

Another situation, which astounded me, was the report that a train had run through a red light! I admit it was the end of the times that trains run, but does that also happen during normal working hours?

Your friend, as always,

John