SOME 40 years ago, two old friends of my parents, Marie and her husband, John, often came to our family get-togethers during which Marie, in her slow, drawling manner, often recounted past humorous experiences, rendering us all helpless with laughter.

Stories like the time a group of weavers went on holiday to the Isle of Man and the sea was so rough that she organised a bucket of water for everyone to put their dentures in and how, on arrival, there was a mad scramble with everyone trying to find their own set.

But one of the funniest of her stories was when, on holiday together, she and John went into a bar. Across the room they spotted some people who worked in the same mill. There were no spare seats so they 'talked' to each other at a distance, the way they did in the mill by lip-reading and the use of 'hand language.'

Marie then told John she'd get the drinks and then mimed across, "What are you having?"

When the reply came back, she got up to give the barman her order. As soon as she started to speak, the barman jumped. "Hell," he said, "I thought you were all deaf and dumb."

ALBERT J MORRIS, Clement View, Nelson.