During our recent Christmas trip to Ireland, my grown-up son and I boarded (not with planks of wood) a bus in Dublin city centre.Being the tourists that we were, we didn’t know that Irish bus drivers – though strictly speaking,this one wasn’t, don’t accept notes;we didn’t have enough change between us for the bus fare, so the driver said “Ask the other passengers for change – they’ll give it to you”.

While my son cringed in to the handrail, I addressed several old ladies at the back of the bus.
“Excuse me, does anyone have change for 10 euros,please?” Almost before I’d said it, about six women opened their handbags and wallets and held out money to me.I didn’t take any of it at first,as the change was coming from so many different sources, I couldn’t figure out who to give the 10€ note to.

One lady sitting by herself behind the others said “How much is the exact fare,love?” I told her 5,50 and all these women started pouring change in to my hands. And they were all smiling and laughing! I thanked them,made sure they understood that I wasn’t going to sing for them, and went with my son to pay the driver.

Then I went back and sat down with the lady who had asked how much we needed. I offered her back all the excess change, but she wouldn’t accept, and said “Light a candle for me next time you go to church” – actually, she might have said mass, but that’s one detail you are spared, as I can’t remember.

And there’s more! Remind me to tell you about Aer Lingus letting us on the plane after the gate had closed and our suitcases had been taken off – they put them back on again, and we were allowed to board, even though we were about fifteen minutes late.