"... Rather good fun for us all to go together to a new place," they read, "and although Clun is not really very far from here it's odd that we've never been... It's no use expecting Agnes to explain, of course. Did we tell you about Agnes when we were at the Dolphin in the summer? She's our housekeeper and has lived in Shropshire all her life. She's a funny old soul, but we're all very fond of her... Of course, we're to help Agnes, but as far as we can discover she'll only have to look after her sister's house for her while she is in hospital. It's called - the house, I mean - Keep View, and she says that's because Clun has a very old castle now in ruins and practically only the keep now stands...

"I'm looking forward to you meeting the others - Peter, Tom and Jenny. We're all going on our bikes if it's not raining, except Peter, who insists on riding Sally. Anyway, have a good journey, although I'll bet you'll be sick of trains by the time, you get to Craven Arms where we'll meet you. I hope you remembered to send your bikes on by passenger train, because they ought to be waiting for you at the station. We'll manage about your luggage somehow."

Penny raised her red head.

"He thinks of everything, doesn't he, Jon? It was good of him to write as well. This really is a thrill."

They sat back and watched the countryside change. The fields and hedges were far behind them now for they were roaring through the sprawling suburbs. Station after station with crowded platforms flashed by, and soon even the suburbs were passed and they were riding high over the roofs of south London. Other people who had got into the compartment reached for their coats and luggage and then the train slowly crossed the muddy Thames and slid into Charing Cross.

Outside the station they stood in a queue for a taxi. The morning was dull, grey and damp, and it seemed as they waited that everybody in London was surging round them and rushing out into the busy Strand. The air was thick with petrol fumes and noise.

Penny wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"I hate it," she said. "Once I thought I liked London when we had to live near it, but now I hate it. It's not as real as Rye or country places. Everyone here rushes about... Oh, Jon! Look! What a marvellous dog."

They were now in the front of the queue, and as a taxi drew up Jon looked over his shoulder and saw a slim collie dog standing close to a man in a raincoat and a brown cap.

"Where to?" the taxi-driver called.

"Paddington, please," Jon said as he opened the door and flung in the rucksacks. As Penny got in, the man with the dog stepped out of the queue and smiled at them.