What do you turn to first in your super soaraway South Wales Echo? Of course, it all depends on who you are. I mean, if you're a 93-year-old Crimean War veteran with two wooden legs, an ear trumpet and the belief things started going down hill when Bismark ‘got soft' on the Prussians, you might well check out what that young whippersnapper Dan O'Neill is up to.

On the other hand, perhaps you want to know why Martin Wells is sleeping in the spare room again. It's true, there are a myriad of delights. I defy anyone not to be enamoured of those pesky Dingbats on the puzzle page; you know the thing, something like ‘tig sselesu' is the clue and when you look up the answer it's ‘Mark Thatcher runs backwards'. Then there's the crossword or even the letters page with missives like: ‘ Dear Sir, I often find that when I wish to purchase a book, a book shop is the most useful place to visit. Do any other readers have happy memories of buying books in book shops? Yours sincerely, C Eastwood (Mrs).' Followed a week later by ‘Dear Sir, furthrer to Mrs Eastwood's letter, hear! hear! I too buy my books at bookshops (although I favour the newsagent for magazines and periodicals). By the way, does anyone remember Therwell's in Roath (sherbert tiffles, a tanner a throw!) Mrs Bradley, the owner, and her son Alf, who had just one eye but three years to make up for it? I for one don't. Yours sincerely, Mrs L Van Cleef, Splott.' And then ‘Dear Sir, I am outraged at all this talk of bookshops. Why do we pander so to the younger generation? In my day we had to publish our own books, read them, then write a slightly inferior sequel. Further to Mrs Van Cleef's letter, of course I remember Therwells (cherry pustule, Mr Snodgrass?), in 1932 I bought my first wife there. Yours sincerely, Colonel Eli Wallich (Retd). 

But for me, despite all the other attractions, there is only one truly indispensable item in the paper: Ask Yve. You may not have seen it tucked away in Echo2 on a Tuesday, but Yve Bailey, the Echo's very own clairvoyant, is fantastic. Bemused readers send in their dreams and Yve analyses them in the sort of no-nonsense manner usually used for reading the football results. Last week Gill from Pencoed got in touch relating a confusing dream featuring a lot of dogs. Good old Yve swung into action, telling Gill that in the dream world: ‘Animals are people and dogs are men.' A summation which I am sure left a lot of women nodding in agreement.

Personally I dream (ahem) of a celebrity version of Ask Yve, so ladies and gentleman and with apologies to Yve, I present Ask Steve. Dear Steve, I'm having the most awful dream. I've got an appointment with Her Majesty the Queen and I end up arriving three hours late, and when I do get there everyone is pointing and laughing. When I look down, I'm wearing my old trousers I do the gardening in. What does it mean?' R Morgan, Cardiff Bay . Steve says ‘Rhodri it means you're an idiot and, by the way, it's not a dream. So, if you've had a strange dream, why not keep it to yourself. Or even better, write to Yve and get the proper lowdown.'