GreeThe recents events in Greece caused by the economy reminded me of an adventurous trip there in the ‘80s with my sister.

We had caught the magic bus with our tent, cooking utensils, sleeping bags and a few hundred pounds.

One night all the beach tents were burgled. We awoke to find all our money had gone.

Angry scenes of mutual recrimination followed as we armed ourselves with our respective cooking utensils.

Eventually, all anger spent, we set off forlornly to find help.

Help materialised in the guise of a friendly young, handsome Greek chap called Spiros.

Before long we found ourselves guests of honour, being wined, dined and taken for boating excursions on his small yacht.

It was definitely the best part of the holiday, we agreed.

The villa where we were staying was filled with whisky and cigarettes. Spiros explained that he was a smuggler and even the local police were in on it.

After a fun filled week and now with some money in our pockets, we bade farewell to Spiros – but not before filling our rucksacks with bottles of whisky to present as gifts to our family.

All this naughtiness was very exciting to two young girls just out of convent school.

Eventually we arrived home having missed the first week of our university term. It was definitely a memorable holiday.

Recent events have shown how a thriving black economy can wreak damage on a country’s economy; but it is easy to see why it could be an attractive pastime!

Susan Thomas, Magdalen Road, Oxford