A newspaper letter to restore your faith in Britain

In times of rising xenophobia and increasing anti-immigration sentiment, a refreshing newspaper letter has served to remind us just how nice people can sometimes be regardless of race or religion.

A man wrote in to the Newcastle Evening Chronicle last week to thank a man who had paid for his coffee at Cologne airport when the card machine had stopped working.

In the split second while I was thinking about where the nearest ATM was, a Geordie voice behind me asked the girl how much my bill was and to add this to his bill.

I offered to reimburse him but his answer was 'If I cannot buy a fellow Englishman a coffee then it's a sorry state of affairs.'

So far, so normal. But Mohinder Singh Potiwal, who was writing in from the opposite end of the country in Southampton, then added a crucial detail.

The crux of the story is that I am a British Sikh with the full beard and turban. It was refreshing to be called a fellow Englishman and really restored my faith in fellow human beings.

We introduced ourselves but due to a medical condition, I am no good with names but will never forget his kind face and deeds.

He was an elderly businessman with an associate.

Bravo, anonymous Geordie businessman. Bravo Britain.

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