I have been following with interest the letters from readers supporting Vince Powell's views on the state of TV comedy.

While I agree with many of their comments, I can also recommend another way of spending an evening when there is nothing on the box.

Take a trip back to the great days of variety by getting hold of a copy of Max Miller's Blue Book - the Cheeky Chappie's jokes exactly as he told them at the Hippodrome, Palladium, Holborn Empire, Finsbury Park Empire, Metropolitan and so on.

The book costs £4.99 (plus postage and packing) and is guaranteed to brighten up a dark winter's evening. To order your copy, call me on 01273 500168.

-Jack Strutt, Max Miller Appreciation Society, Brighton