Greetings, one and all, and a special welcome to new readers in Yorkshire and West Dorset, who have just joined us.

If I tell you that last night we had an evening of black magic, you will probably imagine that Newtonians have now been initiated into the ways of the occult, or that we spent the night guzzling chocolate, or that you should have sent him to 'another place'. Let me assure you that all is well and you really don't need to send off for a pack of prospecti from our various rival establishments.

It was no more than my younger daughter, Alice, and I, transmitting names of objects that had been whispered into my ear by individuals, telepathically to each other. Well, it looked like telepathy to the various dorm audiences, and all were open-mouthed that we could do this successfully! I'm sure there may be some among the Newtonian parental body (what a surreal image that is! Dali would love it!) who know how it's done, but trust me, none of your offspring knows the secret! Yet.

Talking of strange happenings, it was bed-making night last night, pre-black magic. And you know from a previous post what that's like .... ! (See 26th September!)