Sir, - Diane Carswell's letter about the lateness of trains (December 20th) reminded me of an old story about an irate tourist who complained to an Irish station-master: "What's the point in having a timetable if the trains are always late?"
"Well, ma'am," replied the station-master, "if we had no timetable how would we know they were late?" - Yours, etc.,
James Evans, Lower Churchtown Road, Dublin 14.