Public Enemy Number 1

In July I had the opportunity of going to the Russian city of Novosibirsk with a Christian organisation. Novosibirsk is in Siberia and every time I told someone I was going I was asked about the snow and freezing temperatures. No one seemed to realise that in summer the temperatures can reach 40C!

The team I was with worked in a small town about 600km from Novosibirsk and we were involved in running kids' clubs and English lessons. We travelled by overnight train and the sleeping arrangements were interesting. Suffice it to say that the berths were very close together and I got to know some Russians really well!

The kids were lovely and things went very well until we had some problems with the authorities. Now, I am a very boring, law-abiding person and I have never been in trouble with the police, even for a motoring offence. (OK, there was the time I was stopped by the police in Florida but I didn't get a ticket so that doesn't count.) You can imagine how I felt when I was arrested by none other than the FSB (the former KGB!) We were accused of not registering our stay in the town and carted off in a police van to the local nick.

The local police were rather more laid back about the situation. They treated us very well and let us go after about an hour and a half during which time we all had to make statements. It seems that the FSB were just making things difficult for the local church.

Of course, when I got home my friends had a field day! One accused my wife of tipping off the FSB and another said that I was only allowed home because the Russian authorities recognised they had to adhere to international human rights, something Mrs Pluto hasn't signed up to!

It was encouraging to know that during my incarceration my family was very concerned. I received a text message from my daughter: "My dad is an international criminal. Oh the shame!"