With patriotic fever running high – congratulations Bradley Wiggins on your sensational historic victory – and the Olympic excitement only days away, it was a great pleasure to enjoy the best of Britishness over the weekend in many different ways – enhanced by glorious sunshine.

I spent the weekend with a girlfriend in Suffolk whose husband was the driver for his son and athletic friends who were cycling some of the tortuous Tour de France route, and were interviewed by Sky’s roving news team. We were all so thrilled with Wiggins terrific achievement and hearing how our group were following this news across the Channel.

There are few pleasures more British than enjoying an outdoor Shakespeare production in historic surroundings, and my friend lives only a stone’s throw away from Kentwell Hall so we were able to amble there with our picnic and watch the peacocks strutting in their beautiful grounds before taking our seats for The Tempest.

We were told that the play would go on whatever the weather – and, in fact, this was the first night the actors did not get a soaking!

The following day we put on our walking boots and marvelled at the glorious countryside, enjoying the tranquility and peace around the unspoilt timber framed village of Lavenham where butterflies and bird song were our only companions. The highlight of the walk was a young deer which stepped out in front of us on a quiet country road, and the only disappointment was calling in at a local pub at the end of our walk to be informed they had been “drunk dry” of my favourite Aspall’s cider.

The strong feelings of patriotism began stirring inside me on Friday evening when I joined the packed congregation at Ely Cathedral for a performance by the Royal Marines Portsmouth Band and the Portsmouth Military Wives Choir.

We almost raised the roof as we waved flags and joined the choir with the rousing son, Land of Hope and Glory. Let’s hope those words remain uppermost in our minds and spirit both during and after the Olympics and that we take pride in our wonderful country.