I always, to this day, laugh about my late Uncle Tom. He was born and bred in the village of Alphington outside Exeter. He and his brother were always playing jokes and were renowned throughout the village for it. They both were campanologists as was my Granddad.
Tom was a typical country man with a ruddy complexion and worked as a Foreman for Devon county Council out in all weather.
He used to get up early for work ,walk down the back garden where there was an alley. On the other side of the alley was the vicarage back garden which was quite extensive and boasted a large orchard.
When in season Uncle Tom would enter the vicars garden through a small latch gate and help himself to a rosy apple to eat on the way to work. The vicar had obviously seen Tom scrumping so left a large note on the back gate saying,
'Please do not help yourself to my apples. I'm saving them for the Harvest Festival'
Next morning the vicar found a note on his gate saying, 'Don't worry your self vicar. All is safely gathered in'.
It was a joke amongst the villagers for some time and nothing more was said by the vicar.
I still laugh at Uncle Tom's cheeky carefree life.