Springsteen references spotted in John Crace's sketch
Steve Townsley from Wick, Vale of Glamorgan, writes to praise John Crace's sketches, noting that Crace appears to be incorporating Bruce Springsteen quotes and song titles. In Friday's sketch, Townsley identified at least three: Glory Days, Reason to Believe, and The Promised Land. He commends Crace for the clever inclusion.
Bus banter memories from the 1950s
Jennifer Jeater of Hassocks, West Sussex, recalls her bus conductor Uncle Fred in 1950s Brighton. During his lunch break at the station, a man in a bowler hat boarded and asked, “Eaton Place, conductor?” Uncle Fred replied, “No mate, just cheese sandwiches.” This led to an official reprimand and, according to Jeater, a wage cut.
Tram stop humour from the 1920s
Kate Doubleday from Tickhill, Doncaster, shares a story from her late mother about travelling by tram along London’s Old Kent Road in the 1920s. The driver would announce the next stop, Rising Sun, and often add “and the falling daughter,” eliciting laughter from passengers.
Runner bean climbing direction debate
Pat Stevenson of Holywell, Tyne and Wear, responds to a previous letter on runner beans, asserting that in the northern hemisphere, runner beans only climb supports in an anticlockwise direction. Any attempt to force them the other way, he says, is doomed to fail.
Cryptic crossword word sparks complaint
Jerry Emery from Lewes, East Sussex, objects to the word “Roflmao” appearing in the cryptic crossword (19 June). He questions its validity as a word and suggests that if made-up words are to be used, a trigger warning should be added.
