Dear John . . .

Ever written a letter to your local member?

For four years in London, Richard Berry didn't have one, so he wrote weekly to the Prime Minister, John Howard, instead.

His letters ended up being published in the travellers' rag TNT and became its best-read column.

Now Berry is coming home and TNT has published a best-of book called Dear John: The unrequited correspondence of Richard Berry.

"Dear John," begins one. "How's being boss of Australia going? Things are pretty good here at the moment. My girlfriend and I went through a bit of a rough patch for a couple of weeks, but everything is tops again now. I was going to tell you about it, but I didn't want to worry you, especially as you were in South Korea talking to very important people about nuclear bombs and stuff.

"Do you and Janette have rough patches as well? What type of things do you argue about? Does she get annoyed because you're on the phone to George Bush all the time?"

And so on. There were 212 altogether, and not all were unrequited. One of the three replies Berry received, dated 17 May, 2000, says: "I suggest, to save you time and money, that you stop writing to the Australian Prime Minister as it is not possible for him to be your pen pal."

Berry is home now but he still has no intention of stopping.