OLD Bert scratted a living on a small holding rearing calves, pigs and free range egg-laying hens. Bert was a miser and kept his wife of many years short of money. Old Bert became ill and he knew the end was nigh.

One day he took his wife and sister into some outbuildings and showed them where he had £5,000 in readies hidden.

He instructed that when he died he wanted his sister or wife to put the readies in his box with him. He said you never know what you may need when you get to the other side.

Eventually old Bert died and after the funeral his sister asked Betty, his wife, if she had put the five grand in his box with him. Betty replied: “No, I have kept the readies, but to be fair to Bert I have put a cheque for £5,000 in his box with him.”

Ken Holmes, Cliffe Common, Selby