Letter: Existence on the Intercity

Sir: As I finished my (extremely good) breakfast aboard the train to Cardiff yesterday, I asked the steward to whom cheques should be made payable, now that the line had been privatised.

He told me that on the first day of the new regime, passengers had all been told to make cheques payable to 'Intercity Great Western', that being the name of the new company.

Later in the day, a message came down the line asking staff to halt this instruction. In the excitement of privatisation, someone had omitted to register the new company, which consequently did not exist.

I paid cash.

Yours faithfully,

JULIET MAY

Gray's Inn

London, WC1

22 April