23 AUGUST 1969, Page 26

L-Hour

Sir: Strix' (Spectator's notebook', 9 August) should always carry a puncture bottle in his car. No wheel changing, no igrubbiness, no sweat.

The only way to get rid of 'X' is for the entire household to leave the premises in a body, disregarding any odours of a Sunday lunch in preparation and without a word of

explanation other than 'We all have to so now'. This never fails. If 'X', however bor- ing, is a very old friend the whole thing can be put right at the next casual meeting with, 'Frightful situation that Sunday. Even now I don't want to go into it'.