Foreword

Have you ever been on a camping trip? Camping is one of the best things my family and I have ever done – we had such a lot of fun!

If you have ever camped, you’ll know there are quite a few different jobs that need doing when you visit a campsite. As well as a few other chores, it was always my job to wash the dirty dishes.

It was OK. Actually, I started to enjoy washing up. As soon as I checked in at the washing-up station, I could ask people what the place was like, where we should visit or, just as importantly, where we should not visit. So whenever I washed up my mind was always bursting with questions.

And then one day, just after we had arrived at a new campsite, I went to wash the dishes and, although there were loads of cars, tents and camper vans, there was absolutely no one else there washing up. It was just me. All on my own.

I was gutted. “Honestly,” I thought. “How on earth am I supposed to do my research when there is no one here to talk to?”

And then I heard a tweeting noise coming from somewhere behind me. It was a beautiful day and, as with all the best campsites, the washing-up station was open-air.

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