All I knew beforehand of Nuneaton is that Larry Grayson (1923-95) used to live here.

Larry was the much loved camp comedian whose risqué anecdotes of imaginary friends (based on local characters) Apricot Lil, Slack Alice, postman 'Pop-It-In Pete', and close companion Everard (geddit?) earned him huge popularity on TV shows such as The Generation Game and Shut That Door!

The writer George Eliot was born here, too - there's a statue of her in the market square.

Nuneaton is Warwickshire's largest town, nestling right in the heart of England. It is in such towns that British humour, values, traditions and patriotism remain strong.

That much was evident last Saturday, the day before Remembrance Sunday, when Britain first activists mingled with crowds of poppy-wearing locals.

Among the busy market stalls, we distributed leaflets protesting Nuneaton's notorious Sharia court, known as the 'Muslim Arbitration Tribunal' (MAT).

Sharia is the Islamic system of law derived from the Quran and the Hadith, as practiced in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia. Aspects of Sharia are fundamentally at odds with Western freedom and democracy, especially in respect to human rights, women's equality and free speech.

The MAT has been accused of protecting wife beaters by pressuring victims to reconcile with abusive partners and persuading the Crown Prosecution Service to drop charges against them.

Most people we spoke to in Nuneaton were appalled - how could an Islamic Sharia court be operating here, of all places?

Most agreed with Britain First that in Britain only British law should apply, and that the scores of Sharia courts operating across the country should be closed down.