Left-handers and farmers would welcome Bank of Ireland's new wirebound cheque books, available both in Irish and English, bemused journalists were told at a briefing this week when the bank announced restructured charges for current account holders.

What ciotogs and farmers have in common was not immediately apparent and minds raced as the assembled hacks speculated on the links.

The explanation was that the traditionally leftbound cheque, although produced more cheaply, leads left-handers into all sort of contortions while farmers prefer the ease of using the larger-sized wirebound books. Or, could it be that they usually write larger cheques than the non-farming community?