Humour in the Eastern bloc

WHAT a pity that, in his review of Hammer and Tickle: A history of communism told through communist jokes, John Green (M Star July 6) neglects to give us even one example.

Communist humour, although often at the expense of the state, was truly pointed and funny. On a visit to Leningrad in the Gorbachov era, I noticed a lot of Delboy types rushing about with briefcases. My Russian friends told me that they were called "biznezzmen."

They went on to explain that the definition of a biznezzman was "somebody who stole a case of vodka, sold it on the black market and then got drunk on the proceeds."

Very apt indeed when you consider the gangster capitalism that followed.

NOEL HANNON
London SW8