And so to our final, one-day road trip.

BEKONSCOT MODEL VILLAGE
This one-day road-trip took place about 20 years ago. We are not sure if this counts... However, we cannot leave this place off the list of English marvels that we would like to draw your attention to and it was closed when we went a-road tripping. And anyway..WHERE IS IT WRITTEN?

Bekonscot Model Village was built in 1929 and has remained largely unchanged for nearly 80 years.- and like a number of our other favourite places was the product of the hobbying of a single, rather obsessed individual- in this case a man named Roland Callingham. Its closed until 14^th Feb- but go on your way to see The Oracle on 7^th March - its on the way. The scale is 1 inch to 1 foot and it's a picture of a 1930s idyll- the world's oldest model village. There are Morris dancers even, all things quintessentially English- whatever that may be and long may it continue.

We can say no more but its fantastic, especially if you like tiny things.  If you don't, then don't go and see it and definitely don't look at this link either,   http://www.guidehorse.com/

OUR JOYOUS ROAD TRIP
What a joy our road trip has been. We met so many lovely and enthusiastic people and found, and just stumbled across. many glorious English oddities. England, it seemed over these few days, is stuffed full of wonder, obsessive enthusiasts, strange and hidden treats, wonky signs and grubby display dummies.

Our English food, despite the constant ribbing from the rest of the world, is now sometimes surprisingly good up and down the country, as long as you don't spend too much time in service stations. And it is so green and so pleasant and so rich in things to discover.

We set out intending to trot across the United Kingdom, intending to zip up and down Great Britain... er.. in a week. But we were
a)not rich enough to stray from England,
and b) total imbeciles with regard to geography and distance,
so we ended up exploring the country that we live in and musing on what Englishness is.
The Assistants remember British holidays and road trips of their youth: strange half remembered visits to dusty and peculiar places, vast expanses of green spaces and berries picked from the bushes.
Mr Reeling remembers national service and he remembers the nine men's morris, he remembers eating an entire week's butter ration in a pantry, Billy Butlins' Middleton Tower 'holiday-village-by-the-sea' and homemade treacle toffee in a tin.
The Assistants remember childhood scraps in the back of a Renault 4.
Mr Reeling remembers life-time's-service carriage clocks on mantle-pieces and the 3 day week: neighbours who all shared the same cake for the vicar's visit at the weekend, all day cricket matches on village greens, scrumping and a wet camping holiday with the Scouts.
The Assistants remember country dancing in P.E classes, travelling libraries and lemonade delivered by the milkman.
Mr Reeling remembers gleaming front steps.
Gideon Reeling's Assistants remember countrywide power-cuts, maypole dancing outside the town hall or on a sunny patch of grass somewhere, we remember family and friends scattered across the country in unfamiliar places, the glamour of a soda-stream, smokey bacon crisps in a car.
Mr Reeling remembers some of the 60s.

We wish you a joyful time of your own and a host of fond remembrances....and we hope very much to remember sharing an evening with you in the Winners enclosure on 21^st March.

With Much Love
The Assistants.