Huw must be joking

Obiter naturally abhors stereotyping, but in the interests of comic art he is willing to perpetuate what retired solicitor Huw James calls a ‘monstrous calumny’.

He is referring to the good people of Ceredigion’s alleged tightness with money. James, 63, who practised law for 40 years in Wales, hails from that area himself – he comes from Aberystwyth – and so clearly believes he has earned the right to showcase his neighbours’ legendary stinginess in print.

And so he has written The Half-Tidy Book of Welsh Jokes, published by Y Lolfa. It contains gems like: a boy goes to the corner shop with a loo roll and says to the shopkeeper ‘can I change this for a pack of woodbines? The visitors didn’t come’.

And then there is this: Dai went into the office of the Cambrian News and asked ‘how much does it cost to put in a death notice?’

A pound a word, came the reply.

‘OK, put this: “Thomas Evans is dead”.’ That’ll be eight pounds. ‘But you said a pound a word!’ Yes, came the reply, but there's a minimum charge of eight pounds. Dai counted on his fingers. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘Put this: “Thomas Evans is dead. We also sell scaffolding”.’