Lucky Charms.

I'm not normally a superstitious person, but there are a few illogical things that I do adhere to. I was brought up never to cross knives; if one did (by accident) it was always the lower one that was removed. I was also brought up to say 'White rabbit, white rabbit' on the first day of every month. This has to be said before uttering any other words. I still do this, and shall tomorrow!

This key ring contains three of my favourite talismen. Firstly there is the Wild Boar tusk that I unearthed whilst digging at Haddock's. Could he have been dining on a predecessor's vegetables , when somehow he lost a tusk? In our fireplace we have a pair of mounted Boar tusks, that my late father-in-law shot in Turkey, and they are twice the size of the above. I presume therefore that he was a youngster. I liked it so much that I drilled a small hole and threaded it on for luck.

Secondly there is this small aluminium person that is one half of a 1980's set of earings. These belonged to my daughter, Tenpin, and when I think of her, I think of these. I don't know where it's twin is, but I like to think that my half is a bringer of luck.

Lastly there is the strange little brass 'personage'; this is 'Joan the Wad'. Joan is the Queen of the Pixies (or Piskies, as they say in Cornwall). She used to be with my car keys and I would always rub her stomach before setting off on long journeys; she's always looked after me. The only reason she was removed to this key ring (many years ago) is because my other one was becoming cumbersome.

Other than possessing these three 'lucky charms', I'm reasonably sensible. I do salute single magpies and say 'Bonjour monsieur pie', but otherwise I walk under ladders, have no fear of breaking mirrors, and I cock a snoop at Friday 13th.

I've lost all caring about what these keys were for; but that's pretty lucky in itself.