I’m deeply grateful to a reader who sent me his thoughts about my column in a proper letter, which he entrusted to Royal Mail to deliver via the P&J.

Before you say anything, I can tell you that you’re wrong – he actually liked it.

Well, one column in particular about helpless people who felt persecuted by the authorities.

I felt honoured that he had gone to such trouble to let me know how much he appreciated my tuppence-worth.

Creative types, even lowly ones like me, yearn to be loved.

This confidence booster put a spring in my step as I popped a thank-you letter in the post to him.

On the way back home, I made a detour to the beach shops in Aberdeen.

I was still feeling so confident, that on the spur of the moment, I flagged down a passing car driven by a complete stranger and ordered him to stop.

There was a good reason for my seemingly odd behaviour.

He was driving a convertible with the top down and accelerated down a service road to join the general traffic; nothing particularly unusual about that.

The only problem was that he was blissfully unaware that his passenger door was wide open; I mean fully open at a complete right-angle to the car.

He stopped, I obligingly closed the door for........

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