I am a liberal sort of guy. I certainly believe firmly in equality of opportunity and feel quite uncomfortable when some of my more macho male colleagues think it is acceptable  to disparage anyone because of their sex, ethnicity or religion. However I do not buy into 'we are all the same'. I still think men should open doors for women and protect and support the family. Call me old fashioned!

Every now and then something happens that highlights the differences. I have a theory that equality does not mean we all have the same skills set.

A person, she who cannot be named, who I have known for many fine years has no sense of direction. She recognises this and we accept it as a difference. In her defence she told me the following  tale and even laughed about it.

She had just travelled in her Land Rover 90 to our local market town. We moved here last November and we visit the town at least twice per week. It is approximately four miles away. She, who must not be named, will now pick up the story.

''I saw a sign that said 'M50' and thought 'oh that will save me going back through the one way system' so I followed it. Well, the road went through a small housing estate and gradually got narrower and narrower.''

(Now I should point out that on the road between us and our market town stands the river Wye with a very adequate bridge.)

She continued ''The road got smaller and smaller and it turned into a track that went up and down steep hills. I thought to myself 'this is surprising because lorries must find this a very difficult route to the M50'. I drove on and the hedges got higher and higher and I could not turn around so I had to keep going. I then realised I had a river running alongside the road and I knew I had to be on the other side to get home. There were no houses and no people and I had no idea where I was going to. The track just went on and on and on  - and eventually I did see some cottages with pretty gardens but I had now gone so far that I could not possibly go back.

Further and further I drove with twists and turns - I passed a few farms and had to stop for some chickens which seemed to think they owned the road. Then I went through a beautiful set of farm buildings and over a cattle grid. There were gorgeous trees and the grass was all mown. I thought 'this is odd its almost like I am driving in someone’s garden'. I then saw the river again and thought, 'well I know I need to cross it so I will just keep going'. It was very pretty and there was no one around to ask apart from the chickens and the sun was shining. Eventually I found a bridge''.

As you might imagine, what should have been a ten minute journey actually took one and a half hours and some 47 miles later, she who must not be named returned home.

No matter what legislation is passed there are differences and, as I am told regularly, I am from Mars. I needed the Landy later that evening, jumped in it to find it was out of fuel!

The above has been reproduced with kind permission of she who must not be named.