Random reminder

Press, 5 August 1985, Page 16

Random reminder

TRAVELLERS’ TIPS

They stayed for a night at an incredibly old inn in Norwich, an old coaching stop with cobbled courtyard and great oaken doors to the street. On the doors was painted the history of the inn, which showed that it was 200 years old when the Spanish Armada sailed up the English Channel. But if the floors and walls were somewhat bowed with age, the rooms were comfortable and the dining room quite excellent. The dining room was presided over by a patriarch with silver hair, a black morning coat and striped trousers. He greeted each patron with charming deterrence and seated them with due ceremony. One was greeted with a softly murmured “Good morning, My Lord!” and turned out to be a visiting bishop. One rather more brash individual was received with equal courtesy and, having seated him, the patriarch took a freshlyironed newspaper from a table by the door and handed it to the guest with a quiet “It is ‘The Times’ you usually have, isn’t it, sir?”

“Amazing!” cried the brash one. “I haven’t stayed here for over a year, yet you remember!” and there was a rustle of folding money discreetly pocketed. Our two Kiwi travellers were, naturally, fascinated by all this and particularly by the wonderful memory the old fellow displayed. In fact, when he came to their table to enquire if everything was to their satisfaction, Mr Kiwi complimented him on the amazing demonstration. The old chap, being aware that they were from Her Majesty’s far-flung colony and could therefore be treated with a little less formality, astounded them even further by giving them a surreptitious wink and a rather furtive grin, and said "Don’t know the silly codger from Adam But it’s a pound to a penny HE isn’t going to admit that he doesn’t take ‘The Times’!” Well, that deserved a decent tip, didn’t it? Come to think of it, he must know the best way to get tips out of just about anybody!