HIDDEN within our letters page, you often find a few heartwarming sentences. They say things like, ‘Thanks to the kind samaritans who helped me up when I fell over last week’, or ‘Really grateful to those who picked up my split bag of shopping’.

I’ve always taken the letters at face value but now I’m starting to wonder what details they don’t reveal.

You see, when I broke down on The Tything last week I was underwhelmed with the support I received from passing motorists.

The car stalled and refused to restart so I put my hazard lights on and stepped out, naively expecting someone in a car behind to offer assistance.

Instead, I was soon clinging to the side of the door as the traffic sped past overtaking and, in some cases, undertaking me via the bus lane.

I got back in the car and did what any self-respecting woman does in these circumstances. I phoned my husband.

Feminists, don’t worry, I didn’t sell out. It wasn’t his manly mechanical skills I needed.

Frankly, he doesn’t have any and neither do I.

We are both equally capable of phoning the breakdown service but I needed back-up to extract my son who at this point was still stranded in the middle of a busy road.

As well as those in cars – clearly with places to go – what seemed like dozens of walkers also strolled past. All ignored us.

I may well have given up on humankind entirely at this point if it were not for one solitary man who came over to help.

He kindly took his life in his hands to help push my car to the side of the road muttering under his breath, ‘People really don’t want to stop do they’.

He also managed to grab hold of another helpful soul and between them they manoeuvred the car into some sort of safe position while I was, to be fair, next to useless.

The cavalry arrived in the shape of my other half and yes, I did unquestioningly agree to his suggestion that he wait by the side of the road for the breakdown people while me and the boy went home. (Sorry, women’s libbers.) So my letter would include a heartfelt thanks to my two rescuers.

But to the overwhelming majority all I can say is thanks for nothing.