The sign at the bottom of piste 8a.

Well now the story can be told.

Me and a couple of friends went skiing for a week in Austria. Kaprun to be precise.

Not the cheapest holiday I've ever been on, but then if you stay in a four star hotel with a five course evening meal and a three course breakfast, plus soup, sandwich and cake for a four o'clock 'snack' you do feel that you've had your moneys worth. Swimming pool and sauna, pool table and table tennis, very nice thank you.

The first day it was evident that they hadn't had snow for a couple of weeks and the skiing was fair to good rather than excellent.

The sun fair shone. Factor 50. Win.