How an excise officer kept up their spirits

A barrel of confiscated illegal beer being poured down a drain in the US during the prohibition era, 1920 to 1933. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock

John Garforth’s work as an excise officer (Letters, 8 May) reminds me of an ex-colleague’s job as the same, visiting bonded warehouses to check the quality of the spirits kept in store. After testing, a form was presented to the officer to complete. In answer to the question: “Was the remaining spirit disposed of in a common sewer?,” the answer always given was: “Eventually.”
Colin Phillips
London

• Congratulations to Matthew Butte (Letters, 7 May) for his perseverance and ultimate success. In a similar vein, I have been learning to play the accordion, practising every day for 10 years, and I’m still married. I’m not sure whose success is the more notable.
Bob Forster
Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire