Barnaby thinks about al fresco living.

During the recent week of unusually warm and sunny and weather in the UK, Barnaby was reminded of the times that he spent camping under canvas. His earliest memory is of being allowed to sleep out on the back lawn with his brother and sister, an experiment which ended at about ten pm, when sibling squabbling was clearly going to prohibit any chance of sleep.

Later, camping with the scouts and even holidaying abroad with his young family, was considerably more successful and enjoyable.

Barnaby's camping days under canvas are probably now behind him, as he values the comfort of hot showers, flushing toilets and comfortable beds more highly than the crisp dawn air and fresh overnight dew that might otherwise greet him on unzipping the tent each morning, though he was persuaded to try a week in a motor home recently, where he renewed his acquaintance with the joys of the chemical toilet and empty gas bottles.

It brought to mind the story Barnaby heard about Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson camping on the moors, lying in their sleeping bags and staring up at the night sky. "Tell me what you can deduce from what you can see, Watson," said Holmes.

"I can see from the orientation of the stars that we are lying approximately north/south," said Watson, "and that from the position of the moon, that it must be almost three a.m. From the lack of cloud cover, I would say we are under a high pressure weather system and that the weather tomorrow will probably be fine."

"Excellent, Watson, excellent," said Holmes. "Anything else?"

"I don't think so," replied Watson. "What have I missed?"

"Someone has stolen the bloody tent," said Holmes.

Barnaby's e-books can all be found on www.barnaby-wilde.co.uk  and are eminently suitable for reading indoors or al fresco. Why not take one camping with you. You'll find it intensely satisfying.