In these days of woke and fake news, many traditions have been affected – but one that must be saved is April Fool’s Day.

BBC’s Panorama programme once had an April Fool claiming that spaghetti grew on trees, and I remember seeing Italian farmers collecting the spaghetti similar to how they collect olives.

This resulted in the BBC being inundated with calls from people asking where they could buy spaghetti trees.

Also older people may remember Orson Welles, in sombre tones, reporting the world had been invaded by aliens, which caused consternation in America. It was a realistic production of War Of The Worlds.

Closer to home, there was a report that the Canal & River Trust were dredging the Lancaster canal and depositing spoil in the upper reaches to raise the bed to improve the current. Many were mystified, until it was pointed out the date it was sent. May it always continue.

Frank Sanderson

By email