A COUPLE of weeks ago, I was pleased to see local historian Pat Hughes unveil the recently rediscovered 1620 Inglethorpe Almshouses Foundation stone, kindly re-erected by Wimpey Homes, in Taylor's Lane where the tiny cottages for the poor once stood.

Nevill Swanson wrote to you, to express his pleasure also, but, at the same time, accused us of perpetrating an eternal grammatical error on the commemorative plaque.

As the co-author of this plaque, I rang Nevill and asked him where we had gone wrong.

The plaque says that the Inglethorpe Almshouses "were demolished during the 1890's for the erection of the present buildings, the Victoria Institute." Not much wrong with that is there?

According to Nevill, there's a lot wrong. Apparently the 1890's, like potatoes, is a plural, and should be spelt 1890s, not 1890's. Oh dear.

I therefore write humbly to beg forgiveness from your readers for my crime - yes, I plead guilty to the charge of the Grocers' Apostrophe. My face is as red as a beetroot.

This country needs men like Mr Swanson who, unlike those illiterate greengrocers, really does know "how to mind one's p's and q's". Or is it peas and queues, Nevill?

And may I publicly thank him for his major contribution to the preservation of the English language, and for drawing your readers' attention to our shoddy apostrophe, up with which he will not put. Oh, and Nevill - nut's to you!

PAUL GRIFFITH, Chairman,

Worcester Municipal Charities.