Ham

The ultra-rich enclave of Ham, a few miles north of Surbiton, never fails to deliver surprises. Inside a small area of square mile or so, one finds a concentration of elaborate but tightly packed mansions, which suggests that they prefer to live as close together as possible, rather than opting for an even larger pile in the surrounding areas, where they would be forced to live amongst the awful middle classes. In the midst of the mansions is the Polo club, which holds matches every Sunday (it's on the 'to do' list...).

And if you sit on the top deck of the bus you can occasionally see over the large walls and hedges into the private world of the aristocracy. Yesterday, there was evidence of Edward Scissorhands having been let loose in Ham. One backyard boasted three large topiary elephants - a father, mother and, yes, a baby, perfectly formed in lush green. The tallest one must have been 2-3 metres high. What's more, they looked well-established, and not placed for a birthday party or other special occasion. I'm sure they make quite the talking point at apres-polo functions.