IT had to happen, things were going far too well, I'd braved the shops, found a parking place and hunted down some Easter eggs.

So while I wearily started on my last round of supermarket shopping, I foolishly left my 10-year-old son listening to the radio in my car.

When he appeared in the store two minutes later, gleefully brandishing part of the radio which he assured me was a security measure, I asked him what he'd done with the car keys.

Horror-struck, he admitted his crime ... "I've left them in the car." Abandoning my trolley full of shopping, I escorted him out to the car park to see my keys still in the ignition, doors securely locked.

The reason for the tale? Well, after making my way to the nearest garage, I was lucky enough to spot a chap in a breakdown truck filling up with petrol.

When I told him my sorry story, he was only too happy to help. And armed with some interesting looking tools, he painstakingly managed to open my car door.

So I'm eternally grateful to Gerry Fraser of Ilott & Son, Bewsey Industrial Estate. It's refreshing to know there are still some good samaritans around.

Thanks Gerry!

NICOLA PRIEST

Marlfield Road

Grappenhall

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.