FORGET about libel trials. The real story of the week was Bob Monkhouse getting his long-lost joke books back. His reaction was to leave a message for his wife that they had got their "babies" back and to tell reporters that his blood had turned to champagne.

The police were questioning a man who tried to get money for returning the books and the jolly japes themselves are being held as evidence for the moment.

The Margin won't inflict any of the "jokes" on its readers. But it liked the line in one report, which said that the good news was that Bob Monkhouse had got the joke books back... and the bad news was that he planned to use them.