I thought that I would like to share with readers something that happened to me this week.

While weeding in my garden, a lovely Pakistani lady, who lives nearby, and who I always exchange greetings with, was walking past my house with a package that she was holding very carefully.

I suggested to her that it looked as if she was carrying food and she told me that she was taking it to a friend who was not very well.

I said that the food smelled fantastic and, without a by your leave, she insisted that she gave me some.

She came into my kitchen, put some unbelievably delicious chicken curry into a bowl (I had to stop her giving me too much), and gave me a, still hot, homemade chapatti.

Her departing words were: “You are always welcome to come and eat a meal at my home.”

I know that we are all living in very difficult times with the death of Osama Bin Ladin in Pakistan, but I cannot remember anyone of British origin being so spontaneously, and openly, kind and friendly to me for very many years.

We all still have a lot of lessons to learn from each other.

Gill Sanders, Oxford City councillor, Littlemore