Slick Toads...

Following Benedict's charming portraits of the Lucky Gnomes of Greenwich Park Drains and delightful coverage of Toadhog Day today I bring you this pair of splendid fellows, spotted in Goucester Circus.

The meeting of Gnome and Toad is rarely witnessed by humans, so it is especially important that Benedict not only saw it, but managed to capture this moment on film.

And what emotion is caught in this image. The elderly gnome, clearly trying to read his book in this quiet spot, is irritated to be interrupted by the dapper young toad, all dressed up in his finery in the fernery. Mr Gnome is pretending he hasn't noticed the amphibious gentleman, but it's not working.

There's nothing for it - the aquaintance cannot be avoided now. He'll just have to make polite conversation about the weather - and the sagacity of Mr Toad's remembering to bring a brolly in weather as changeable as this, and hope the guy goes away and leaves him in peace as soon as possible.

It is, of course, depicting the wise old country saying: "Cross roads at slick toads."

As true today as ever.

A lesson, I think, for us all.