This afternoon I took Kelly and Juno for a short walk along the banks of Lake Burley Griffin. It had been a cold morning but the sun unexpectedly popped out after lunch.

Kelly is still firing on only three cylinders, so we took it slow and soon stopped for a hot chocolate and a rest. The combination of sun and fresh air was medicine enough. We sat and people watched and listened to the National Carillon bells peal across the lake.

The 50-metre tower of the Carillon holds 57 bronze bells weighing from 7kg to 6 tonnes. A carillionist can play music on the bells by means of a sort of giant keyboard consisting of wooden batons and pedals called a clavier. Wires and linkages run from each key up to corresponding clappers on the bells above.

The Carillon is open to the public and you can go up and check the whole complicated Heath Robinson bell setup yourself. Its pretty impressive.

When I was a student nurse living at the hospital residence not too far from here, I would sometimes smuggle a backpack of my latest top secret paper plane designs and test-fly them off the high Carillon balcony.