Travelling back from the north east by train quite recently, despite the best endeavours of The Leeds United Choral Society to monopolise the on-board entertainment, I managed to have a quiet, comprehensive, conversation with another passenger.

Navigating the difficult routes around Britain and “Le Monde” proved a pleasing exercise in British pragmatism and good manners; Europe (one in one out) Trump (a dangerous egoist) and so on.

As with all good conversation the bonus is not the confirmation of what you already know, it’s the questioning and counter arguments to what you think you already know that are the real joy.

It was my mention of probable privatisation of The NHS that led to the first animated, almost angry, answer of the evening, “Walk the full length of this train and ask everyone if that’s what they want, and I think we both know the overwhelming answer will be no”.

Of course he is correct, but, and a big but it is, Governments no longer enact legislation (with one obvious exception) to reflect the direct desires of the voters, they set legislation to create the conditions that they hope will do it for them.

I know the referendum remit could have been rather more comprehensive in its description of possible destinations but I doubt, whichever way you voted, many of us want to get there via “American Asset Stripper Avenue”. We are leaving Europe but let’s not be distracted by blue passports or bent bananas, make it clear you don’t want one of the institutions that really is “Great” and “British” wiped out by Government-attracted American “friendly fire”.

Richard Bowen, Farrar Street York Radio report had my mother in fits!

I HOPE the BBC takes the opportunity on May 20 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Spithead Coronation Review broadcast.

The occasion was King George VI’s review of three Royal Navy battle fleets plus warships from most naval powers, including the Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, USA and Japan, several hundred shops in total filling the Solent at Spithead. All spying on each other no doubt.

The BBC radio commentator was a retired Lieutenant Commander speaking from his old battleship where his former shipmates entertained him lavishly.

His broadcast frequently referred to the fleet being “lit up with fairy lights and the sight of it altogether.”

I remember my mother in fits of laughter and my father saying: “Good God, the man’s drunk”. As a soldier he always rather resisted the Navy’s air of superiority.

Despite the BBC’s chief Lord Reith’s famous puritanism the offending broadcaster went on to be a celebrated sports commentator; on one occasion promising to eat, and actually eating, his hat.

A V Martin, Westfield Close, Wigginton, York.

Cycle lanes don’t do their job properly I live near enough to town to nearly walk just about anywhere I need to go, or I use the bus for farther journeys.

I expected to use the cycle lanes on Huntington Road but what a disappointment they were, cars parked fully or partly in the lanes, cars parked on the paths so near to the road that their wing mirrors forced you to ride outside of the cycle lanes. What’s the point of these lanes if you can’t ride within their boundaries?

D M Deamer, Monkgate, York Thanks to mobile phone Samaritan I WISH to thank the honest gentleman who retrieved my mobile phone mistakenly left on the roof of my car, parked in the vicinity of the Knavesmire public house last Tuesday evening.

The gentleman kindly handed the mobile into the pub but unfortunately did not leave any name or address.

Alan Robertson, North Lane, Haxby, York Old friends urged to get in touch UNFORTUNATELY I was unable to attend the reunion of former pupils of Beckfield Lane School on April 8 at the Acomb Conservative Club.

I wonder if anyone remembers me: Christine Harrison, formerly of Ouseburn Avenue, Bramham Avenue, Acomb – and would like to get in touch with me. I would love to hear from old friends.

Christine Harrison, 1 Stonesdale Court, Alvaston, Derby DE24 0RF