Avocets and bankers

The day started with a visit toWelney Wetland Centre, which is linked with Martinmere in Lancashire through the Wetland Trust and the Wildfowl Trust. TSH and Diva saw avocets and their chicks, a moorhen feeding chicks and a small deer, which some local people said was very unusual. There was also a Little Egret.

The second visit was to Peckover House, a National Trust property in Wisbech. The interest here was that it was originally owned by a Quaker family who were trusted to hold people's money during the 1800s, when there were few regulations. This bank was prudently run and did not collapse as did many others in the 1860s. Since then it has been taken over by Barclays and whilst this latter bank also did not collapse in the recent crisis, the Quaker bankers might not approve of what has happened to their trustworthy enterprise.

TSH visited the gardens, which were pleasant but not special. Diva did not go to the gardens as she discovered there are two resident c**ts, about which she is extremely phobic.