The annual visit of a walking friend from Chesterfield provided the opportunity to try out a walk from the local paper. This started at the 'Queen Vic' in Meriden, which is unusual for its pub sign which portrays her as a young woman, not the dumpy octogenarian we are so familiar with. The walk itself was unremarkable and not particularly 'scenic', meandering as it did 'twixt Solihull and Coventry. Perhaps its most noteworthy feature, towards the end, was passing the dedicated souls of Eaves Green who are keeping a watchful eye on the travellers who persist in cocking a snook at the planning laws.

A visit to the National Trust property Calke Abbey had an unusual objective. This was to inspect its 'auricula theatre', claimed to be the only one in the country, though not for much longer. I have decided to put a necessarily smaller version in a corner of my garden where I seem unable to grow anything. Apart from two cousins and a family friend, I was accompanied by the husband of one of the former, who was going to build it for me. Only he would know what he was looking at when design and construction were being considered. The ladies of the Trust who were on duty had never previously seen anyone admiring it tape measure in hand! The results of this research were installed in my garden ready for unveiling on the first day of next month. Watch this space!

It had been five years since I last saw Gilbert and Sullivan's 'Pirates of Penzance'. The open air theatre at Kilworth House was once more the venue, though a different company gave the performance to an enthusiastic audience of more than 500. Despite steady rain the cast gave excellent renditions of the familiar, timeless, melodies accompanied by brilliant choreography, lighting and orchestral support. I'm not sure, though, that G & S would have approved of the effeminate policeman whose chorus ("Tarantara") and song ("A Policeman's lot") are so well known.