The Abbey that isn't, and a duck called Roger

As new National Trust members we naturally want to get our money's worth so we decided to visit Calke Abbey
at the start of Jacqui's half-term week, which also coincided with our wedding anniversary.



It was a beautiful sunny day and we enjoyed the visit, but we were left feeling a little bewildered because firstly the place is not an Abbey and secondly since they acquired the place the NT have merely halted the decline so that you can see the place "just as the last owners left it" (which in some rooms was a mess!). Also it would be hard to find a place with so many rooms so full of stuffed birds and animals.

In their shops the NT have a range of ducks which I have been going 'coo' over (or should that be 'quackers') - and on this occasion I found one called Roger - and it was finally decided that 'he' would come home with us and go into hiding until a suitable birthday/Christmas opportunity arose.