Well we’ve arrived in Accra and are now safely lodged in a rather smart bijou hotel somewhere in the city. We have met our guide, Nathan and his colleague Linda abd the driver of our mini-coach, Dominic. As the humidity is over 80% and the temperature is 28C we were glad to note it is air conditioned.

The flight from City Airport was fine as was the flight from Amsterdam to Accra. The only thing of note were the toilets in Schipol Airport. Mock Tudor?  A hint of gothic? No, unfortunately not, but in both the ladies and the gents, vast rooms with few cubicles and stalls. Great for a tea dance or a conference of widget makers, but remarkably unsuitable for the hordes of visitors desperate for a pee. In both the gents I visited I had to queue, something women I know are used to but we men rarely do. There were acres of spare wall and floor which could be ‘installed’ so to speak, but were left vacant, so that we all had plenty of queuing room. Clearly the Dutch have the bladders of oxes, and think we all should have them as well.

We are 13 in the group and seem generally to be what Ayckbourn calls PLU, except possibly a single gentleman, of uncertain provenance, who seems always to be the last to do anything. Perhaps he is tired and will put on a spurt in the morning. Let us hope so; we are to be breakfasted and ready to leave by nine. There are Palm oil producers and coffin makers to visit before the day is out!