Wednesday was spent at Longleat, a place I really love, along with Port Lympne. There were new things to explore, and they've created more opportunities for getting people to part with their money to feed the animals. And yes, we were suckered in, but you know what? The experiences are worth it.

Does my bum look big?

The meerkats have moved from their residence by the lake boat and into a section where they are the star. One can walk among them - or more correctly, one can walk along a little path and they can walk among you. And your handbag.

I have also found a new animal to adore. There was an enclosure that boasted the residence of an anteater. All we could see was a bowl of goo at one end, and a thick wooly mat on top of... something.

Then a little part of the mat moved and a little snout appeared, followed by two legs, followed by a much larger appendage that grabbed the little snout and legs and pulled it back under the mat. A few seconds later, the little snout reappeared along with the two little legs and then the two little back legs and then the rest of the ickle baby anteater.

He wandered about like a Muppet puppet for a little while until the mat     got up, and transformed into a very, very large anteater. The mat was, in fact, its very very fluffy tail. Big anteater flung tongue out to bowl of goo a few times, followed baby around for a short while, before grabbing it. It turned around cat style, tucking baby in, and threw tail back over the pair of them.

Anne the elephant - the one that has been all over the papers this spring, was there. She seemed very lively and was out and about with an attendant film crew. I guess for Animal Park, or something like.

But Daa-aad!

In the animal handling hall I got to play with a baby tarantula, a couple of snakes who wore all adorable, particular the constrictor who, I think, was using my shoulder to spy on the guinea pigs.

Have you ever tried carrying
antlers this big on your head?

We went into the main house - the first time I've been there, and it's old, amazing and mad. Hundreds of years of history are contained within, but with little apparent order - which made it more interesting in many ways than the usual dry stately homes.

Perhaps sadly, the most interesting thing for me (as my interest in history is passing at best), was the special showing of a copy of the painting 'The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies' from the BBC show 'Allo 'Allo.