Madam, – I was interested to read Karl Whitney’s Irishman’s Diary (January 2nd) as I clearly remember the old steam tram noisily puffing and clattering along from the terminus in Terenure. My aunt lived in Rathgar, and one day as a treat she brought my brother and me for a ride on the tram to Tallaght. I think I must have been about seven years old – it would have been 1926 or thereabouts. I can recall the smell and the noise – also the sootiness. My aunt told me I mustn’t touch anything – everything seemed to be dirty. I was wearing white gloves, and very soon they were black, much to her annoyance! Our destination was Urney’s chocolate factory, where we had a guided tour.
Again, it is the pervading smell, this time of chocolate, that I remember, but not much else, apart from seeing a dead wasp in a stream of what I suppose was white fondant, coming from a tap. We were each given a small box of chocolates when we were leaving, but that wasp was a bit off-putting! – Yours, etc,