A letter of Disappointment

How sad that some folk feel that they need to make a little pocket money from a neighbourly gesture!

Disappointment

For the past four years or more I have sold my surplus produce in order to fund my seed purchase for the following year, nothing too grand, simply a table in the garden with a cool box, a jar for the money, and a blackboard on the telegraph pole outside the house to advertise. In all this time I think I have been short-changed by a couple of pence once or twice, and maybe a bag of beans has disappeared without payment. This year on the second day of leaving produce out for sale the contents of the jar disappeared, all but 34 pence! The money taken was probably around £1.80, no produce was taken. The money doesn't matter, it's the fact that after all this time the idea of a little barter and neighbourlyness has suddenly disappeared down the drain. I'm not going to give the opportunity to person or persons unknown to come along and help themselves to a little pocket money, I'd sooner give the surplus produce away. My overall feeling is that of complete disappointment.

Jean Lamb, The Shrubs, Stoke Ferry.

Jean lamb