Sir, – In the D&S (May 26) there is an article referring to Royal Oak Day.

Several weeks ago, I was trying to find people who remembered this day and could only find one friend who did vividly remember, as we used to go to a kind couple who every year had sprigs of oak waiting to give to us.

He was a bank manager and we were a load of scruffy kids living in what in those days was called the slums of Thirsk – the old Norby estate – but to all us kids was a wonderful place to live.

The bungalow next to St Mary’s is where the couple lived – very posh, we thought.

Several weeks ago, I went on the net to find info about this and drew a blank, so you can imagine my delight at the article – and you were right: without oak sprigs, you were stung with nettles, but were safe at midday.

We used to sing a song: “Royal Oak Day, the 25th of May, if you don’t give us holiday, we’ll all run away.”

MRS PAT COHEN Thirlmere Close, Carlton