I WAS sitting on a bench in Christ Church Meadow, minding my own business, and reading the day’s Oxford Mail, when I noticed an Oriental gentleman, part of a substantial group of young to middle-aged presumed compatriots of his, pointing his camera straight at me.

I responded by waving both hands and uttering “cheers” and “may you live for 10,000 years”, somewhat surreally in my disgracefully limited Japanese, only to learn that he was, in fact, Chinese.

He then proceeded to take photographs of young children from the local public school, playing in the enclosed sports area – a doubtless perfectly innocent gesture, which, if he had been indigenous and a member of our magnificent forces of law and order had chanced to have been passing by, would probably have cost him at least a caution.

Having considered that I had done my little bit for international relations and local tourism, many of his group, on their return, directed not only their photographic apparatus but also camcorders towards me, urging me, apparently, to repeat the greeting.

I was left wondering, but not caring, whether they considered me to be a typical Englishman or some kind of oddity. This is a free country after all.

DAVID DIMENT Riverside Court Oxford