Julia tells us "You’ll probably take one look at this sampler and immediately home in on the Pyramids because maybe they evoke memories of a special trip, or perhaps you’ll fall in love with Bast and Anubis just two of the many creatures who make up the pantheon of Egyptian deities.

If you’re inclined to be a bit pedantic you could well think to yourself “What does she know? It’s common knowledge that the camels in Egypt are Dromedaries and only have one hump.” And I would reply “Have you never heard of Hump Holidays? It’s a niche travel company which takes Bactrian camels all over the world in search of excitement and romance.” My camels are tourists!  But how many of you even noticed the three little critters scurrying past the Pyramids? They’re the vital key to this entire sampler.

My father was in the 8th Army during WWII and saw service all over North Africa including Egypt. The 8th Army soldiers were called “the Desert Rats” and those three are my dad Charlie and his mates Lowen, a bank clerk from London, and Jimmy Fox, a very dubious character from Carnoustie in Scotland. Had the Germans tried to take Cairo it was my dad’s job to evacuate all the allied troops from the city and he would have been the last man to leave on the last truck out. Thankfully it never happened.

The leader of the German Army was Field Marshal Erwin Rommel aka “the Desert Fox” and he’s in the sampler too sniffing about beside the monuments.  This one’s for you Dad, you still belong to me ………