Dear Editor,
The signs looked ominous on Christmas morning, as I slid out my driveway to open my gate. However, I decided that I had better feed the dog and break the ice on his water bowl. So I gingerly threaded down my back steps holding onto the wood rail until I reached the first major ice patch, outside his pen.

Having negotiated a way round the ice whilst delicately balancing on a narrow rocky margin, I fed the dog and decided to brave the daily walk. My faithful companion bounded off with canine confidence as I followed a tad slower, taking each step steadily along, dodging in and out of shiny spots and grass margins.

On the way back, I noticed a car parked at a tangent on the top of the laneway on the bridge beside the traffic lights. I had glimpsed it as I started my expedition, but was concentrating so much on keeping my footing I did not give it much thought. However, a half hour later it was still there. I made my way to the car and actually recognised the lady inside.

"Are you okay," I enquired. "The car just cut out and there is no sign of life," she replied. I asked had she AA membership and she produced the card. As I was phoning for assistance, a fellow dog-walker happened upon the scene. We'd known each other for years (I well remember as a kid being forced to do piano lessons with his mum. 'Great teacher but at the time I wanted to learn the guitar!') And he offered his assistance.

Next thing a Garda car pulls up and we had an abundance of help. The AA promised to be out within the hour, the Garda agreed to take the lady home and my friend agreed to hang on to the car-key for the AA as he lived near-by. Things were looking up until at the very moment the Garda decided to start pushing the car to a safer spot my fellow dog-walker's dog slipped her lead. I grabbed the dog with my free hand as my dog was on his lead in my other hand and the car started to roll down the incline. I commanded my dog to jump into the car and grabbed the open door as we arrested the slide and stopped the car safely.

If it was on U-tube nobody would watch Susan Boyle again! Picture the scene, car sliding down the hill, dog in passenger seat, Garda hanging onto steering wheel from outside and me hanging out of passenger door. Priceless! The somewhat shocked lady must have thought she was in a parallel universe, as she stood patiently by the side of the Garda car.