The Mummy’s Curse? He’d probably just been charged £6.50 for a crap exhibition

Last fry-up of the week, followed by a trip back into Dorchester to look at the Tutankhamen exhibition. Now this is supposedly recreating the treasures from the tomb with authentic materials and techniques, but the whole experience was incredibly badly put together. There was no soundproofing between displays, so while you were trying to listen to one explanation it was drowned out by a bewildering mix of the music from the foyer and the "dramatic" bit from ahead., and this was the case all the way through. The displays were ordered in a very odd fashion, meaning that introductory passages were situated beyond displays referring back (forward?) to them, and there were walls' worth of printed text to read. And of the things pushed on the leaflet: "the sights and sounds and SMELLS of Ancient Egypt" - well, I'm sorry, but the only thing I could smell was the stench of fresh paint, so I felt thoroughly sick by the time we came out.

Having recovered ourselves somewhat with a good ketchup-y burger and a dubious pasty (you can take the boy out of Cornwall...) we traveled east to the very nice town of Wimborne Minster. I wanted to see the Chained Library in the Minster, and for once our luck was in, and not only was it open but it was only a donation of 50p to see it. Up a spiral staircase (this day was definitely looking up) it was staffed by marvelouslyly knowledgeable and entertaining elderly lady in definite Margaret Rutherford style.

Back into the sunshine for a blackcurrant ice cream and onwards for the last stop of the day - Kingston Lacey stately home. This was the house that the lady of Corfe Castle and her family moved to after the sacking of the castle in the Civil War. Impressive carpets of bluebells on the Lime Walk, and the best (strongest) cup of tea we'd bought all week in the teashop!

Stopped at the Hare & Hounds (actually open!) for a pint on the way home, to round off the week in appropriate style.