In November 2005 President David Campbell Burns accompanied by David Fear visited Beijing. Son Alistair, who lives in Shanghi, had put Barbara off with tales of variable food and sanitation standards (partly true) so David Fear stepped into the breach to keep me company. The travel company, Airline Network, had done a good job getting us good flight and hotel rates and were very understanding about my insistence on a twin, rather than a double room! They also managed to book us B&B in the Shangri-la five star hotel for little more than the regular flight cost and Max saved us a few bob by driving us to the airport.

The flight was excellent and the pre-booked ‘limo' (5.30am.) not only took us to the hotel but sold us a couple of tours at well discounted rates. Day one we visited the Lama and Confucius Temples and met Alistair for dinner in our hotel. The buffet-style meal was a revelation; you name it, they had it. Not cheap but a gastronomic bargain.

Day two was the locally booked trip to the Great Wall we did the steep bit, and the Ming Tombs. The Wall was just mind blowing – “want a Lolex – velly good plice?”; you'll have to wait for my AV show for the details, but we were all left breathless, in more ways than one. By now I had a couple of kites and DF a kimono (wow). Bartering was led by No.1 son Alistair who taught us to offer 10% of, not 10% off, and walk away if it wasn't accepted; it usually was.

David and I have a nice Armani (!) coat each and a range of very high quality Christmas gifts. Every tour included a range of visits to local craft industries (e.g. pearls, jade, cloisonné etc.) and very good lunches.

Day three (it feels like a week already) was an amazing tour of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Temple of Heaven. Tuesday, day four, was one of the highlights of our visit – a meeting with the ‘provisional' Rotary Club of Beijing. The club was founded in the 30's and, suffering from a succession of stop/go's, it is now only a provisional club consisting of a wide selection of international members working in the Peoples Republic, awaiting the political system to allow it full Rotary status.

The next few days saw visits to the TV tower, the Observatory, (they fixed the year at 365 days long before anyone else), and another visit to the Silk Street market. Here we bought things, took pictures, drank beer and ‘took tea' with a couple of nice young ladies collected by Alistair.

In a calligraphy studio we met the nephew of the last Emperor – employed to do calligraphy for the tourists – how are the mighty fallen?

And yes, there are an awful lot of bicycles in Beijing.

David Campbell Burns

Above: David CB with the (Swiss) President of the provisional Rotary Club of Beijing

Above: some of the many bicycles in Beijing