Just to say that my wife, Jacky, and I are off to France for a week – we’ll be stayig in an apartment in one of the houses above. Although I’ll be writing the odd article our stand-in editor, Paul Maggs will once again be in charge.

Tomorrow morning we have a guest article on Pennsylvania by Ben Surtees and there are one or two of my “prepared this one earlier” pieces which will be published.

Whether I am able to do more depends on two things: the weather and the extent to which my Vodafone modem will work across the channel.

Best wishes,

Mike Smithson