*WHENEVER I travel to France and Belgium on my battlefield trips, I make sure I pack a harmonica or two in my rucksack.

This is because on most nights after dinner, I will be asked to play a few standards plus a little bit of trench music. Mademoiselle from Armentieres, Pack up Your Troubles, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary… Shenandoah, Spanish Ladies…the repertoire may not be endless but it’s fairly varied, nonetheless.

But it’s not all me, me, me.

Everyone is encouraged to do a turn and I know it will cause no embarrassment if I say that Hallow’s Chris Pate can always come up with a joke, monologue or amusing story.

The financial chief for a leading Worcester estate agent never fails to entertain and is always a firm favourite on War Research Society evenings in our hotel at Carvin, near Loos.

Since I first bought a ‘vamper’ harmonica at the age of 15, those 10 little reeds have never been all that far from my lips. For you never know when you might be called upon to spread a little homespun happiness among friends and strangers.

*MODERN Holland is a mainly beautiful country undoubtedly kept that way by the sheer profusion of bikes helping to keep cars off the main routes and the air clean in the process.

All roads have an accompanying cycle lane and riders must not stray off them. I visited the famed town of Arnhem last September and was greatly impressed by the Dutch person’s love of two wheels.

It’s high time Worcester adopted such policies by dropping the bus lanes idea – which no one supports – and used the freed-up space.

That would at least be one example of ‘double Dutch’ that made total sense.