The garden gnome....

One of the features of the stories is the garden gnome that stands outside the front door of the Ash's house. It often holds a sign which the boys constantly change to match their mood or what's going on in the village. It will feature in all the books one way or another.

I'm not a big fan of gnomes but I liked the idea of the contrast between the extreme tastefulness of Mike's life and home and this incongruous object holding up signs saying things like 'Hello, hello, hello' when Tom, the ex-policeman, comes to dinner the first time.