A drizzly and overcast sky greeted the Wodehousean Weekers in the morning, but the clouds were no match for the our sunny dispositions as we headed for the tree-lined streets and charming stone and brick houses of Guildford. We knew we'd arrived at the hallowed 59 Epsom Road when we heard Colonel Murphy bark: "Everybody out! You'll have 10 minutes to take photographs of Plum's birthplace, but that's it!"

Many of us wondered what the neighbours must think when they see strange groups of giddy people coming around now and then taking pictures. Hopefully they all know the importance of their neighbour’s house!

Soon we were back on the bus and our en route entertainment began. Kristine Fowler gave us a spirited reading of "The Rise of Minna Nordstrom". Tamaki Morimura talked about the challenges and joys of translating Plum's stories into Japanese. She used to side with the pessimists who'd snort "How can you translate Wodehouse, with its classic British humour, into Japanese? If you're not English, you can't possibly 'get it'!" But now she adamantly disagrees. "I strongly believe we share a love of PG Wodehouse regardless of time, language and nationality!" The response she has received from the readers of her translations confirms this belief, as does the eagerness with which her publisher would like to release more books!

Our last reading was from Murray Hedgcock, who recited "The Umpire", a 1906 poem that appeared in Pearson's Magazine. Murray's reading helped us envision the power wielded by the incorruptible, inscrutable Cricket Umpire. As the umpire concerned, he also emphasized that Tony Ring really had been "out" during a match played by the Gold Bats!

No sooner had the entertainment finished than we found ourselves at Record Road and 'Threepwood' (which Wodehouse rented for 10 years). The grounds of the Emsworth House School, where his friend Herbert Westbrook taught, would have lain over the garden fence behind the house. The front yard at 'Threepwood' overflowed with a luxuriant and jaunty mixture of lavender, foxglove, sweet William, penstemon, snapdragon – and hollyhock – that would have pleased both Lord Emsworth and Angus MacAllister (although had the hollyhocks been doubles, their opinions might have differed!).

We then went into Emsworth and lunched at Nicolino's, a very nice Italian restaurant in the village. Conversations included a discussion of Ethel Wodehouse, the formal and the "Wodehousean" rules of cricket and Plum's childhood. Dessert was followed by a tour of the Emsworth Museum, which explained the nautical history of Emsworth and featured letters, notes and photos from the years Wodehouse lived there.

The clouds broke and a benevolent sun smiled on us as we passed pastures dotted with sheep on the drive to Sanstead Park (aka Stansted House in The Little Nugget). This countryside with its rolling hills, green pastures, seashores, oyster farms and shipbuilding history was reminiscent of Virginia, Maryland, New York and Massachusetts. No wonder the American colonists named the East Coast of the United States "New England". If Plum took day trips from his home on Long Island to some of these New England and mid-Atlantic spots, no doubt he would have been reminded of this lovely area around Sanstead Park and Emsworth.

On the bus ride home, we were told "Your food will cost you more!" in five distinctly different ways. That is to say, five poems with this theme were read by different Weekers and we had a lively debate on which ones we thought were actually written by Plum. Thankfully, our dinners that night did not cost us any more than usual.

It was a fun, full, memorable day!

Tour photographs taken by Tamaki Morimura and added to Hetty Litjens' website (click here)