Sir, - In the aftermath of the festive season I would like to commend those in the service industry who had to contend with greater than usual pressures because of the combination of Christmas and millennium celebrations. Throughout the period I experienced nothing but kindness and consideration in shops, stores and supermarkets where the staff often went out of their way to help me and others.
In an age of doubt and cynicism, where the mores of the great and powerful leave much to be desired, it is heartening to know that there still exists, among ordinary people on this little island, a sense of neighbourliness and goodwill. - Yours, etc.,
Pauline Greevy, Larchfield Road, Goatstown, Dublin 14.