Star attraction

We took a lovely ride cross Hampshire and Wiltshire to stay with friends in Yeovil. Beautiful sweeping downs and fields all the way, but we were alarmed to see many fields where there were bald patches because the seeds hadn't germinated because of the cold spring.

With our friends we visited the National Trust Montacute House. It is particularly interesting for its art collection - there are many paintings belonging to the National Portrait Gallery on show there and I enjoyed looking into the faces of people that I had read about in the history books.

But amongst all the fine paintings and furniture, the item that our menfolk found most exciting was the robot lawn mower, making its way randomly on the sweeping lawns outside. "But it doesn't do stripes!" says Normous!