Carlie and Steve Newman led our annual (well, except for last year when they were busy with elections) assault by TOFF on the men and women elected by Londoners to be their representatives in Europe. Kindly sponsored by Claude Moraes MEP and efficiently organized by his assistant Emily.

We started our adventure in the exotic surroundings of Eversholt Street by Euston Station where we were picked up by the coach which was to be our transport (with a little help from Eurotunnel) for the duration of our visit. Stopping in Calais for lunch, a Toff tradition, we almost all took far too long to have it (including your intrepid leaders, talk about setting a good example!) which is fast becoming another TOFF tradition.

Onwards to the pretty city of Lille. We stayed at the Sofitel Hotel, which was a little way from the centre of town and had the remarkable ability to retreat from us and hide itself away every time we got near it. The hotel then decided it had exhausted the comic possibilities of this game and stayed in one place long enough for us to book in. Not content with our earlier misadventures, 17 of us went back into town for dinner and had the same, where the heck are we? all over again.

Steve's navigational skills, finely honed by repeated viewings of "The Dambusters " film were then employed to get us to Luxembourg for lunch and a very pretty village called Klingenthal outside Strasbourg where we stayed for 3 nights.

The next day we enjoyed a most picturesque canal cruise in Strasbourg and thence to the Parliament buildings.

We had a very interesting meeting with a number of the London MEPs and a generously long session listening to the proceedings in the actual Assembly. That evening we were Claude Moraes' guests in a splendid restaurant sited next to and overlooking the river.

Next day to Freiburg where we had a rather wine fuelled lunch and were late back for the coach and had to grovel (again!). We then paid a quick visit to the Black Forest and Lake Titessee (as Frankie Howerd would want to say, " titter ye not!").

Our last night in Klingenthal was distinguished by a super meal in one of the village restaurants, where a number of us gathered.

Home then via Metz and a couple of nights in a charming hotel in Brugge where we enjoyed a tour of this pretty town. Then back home via the very large hole under the Channel.

Some unsolicited (ha!) comments from our victims (sorry clients!):

Frank (a very active 85 year old):- "I come on the TOFF Eurotrips to use my French and although a Eurosceptic to begin with, I am beginning to believe it is of some use! I enjoyed the hotels and the scenery."

Bill (on his first trip with us):-"I enjoyed the various towns, but haven't much time for the Euro-parliament!"

Mary on her second trip with us, "Brilliant! Thoroughly enjoyed it all. Hotels were very good."

She can come again !

And a lot of them will as TOFF's next visit to the European Parliament will be to Brussels from 30 of May to 2 June 2006. If you live in Greater London or can get to central London for the pickup, do come and join us.