I don't expect for one moment that anyone will 'blog-log' today, but as the thing has become almost an addiction for me, and the rest of the family are without, I thought I would type a few lines, just to keep things ticking over.

My Long Leave began well, as, while walking into Summertown, I received a very nice text from a former tutee, now happily ensconced at Eton. Things went downhill rather after that, as I bumped into an ex-parent in Summertown, who, after a cordial enough greeting, decided that this was the moment to shower SF - and me in particular - in a torrent of polemic. Looking into the dry cleaners' and thinking malevolent thoughts about which particular machine would lend itself most appropriately to the moment, I decided that discretion had to be the better part of valour and, although I had plenty of time to reciprocate in similar vein, that Summertown High Street was probably not the forum for such demeaning behaviour. I strode purposefully to the Health Centre to collect my inhalers, expressing, with as much heavy irony as I could summon, my delight that all was going so well now.

I then responded to my text-buddy with a brief synopsis of recent events, whose reply was instant, opining all manner of decent, kind and generous thoughts. I was much cheered by this, as you can imagine. Dorset could not come quickly enough.

Our private hideaway is the most wonderful haven. I have now finished reading John Rae's excellent diary: it's called 'The Old Boys' Network' and I do recommend it. (Only one incorrect pronoun ('I' when he should have used 'me') and one typographical inexactitude in 294 pages: not bad!) You may have heard part of it, as it was recently serialised on Radio 4' 'Book at Bedtime'. I agreed with so much of his educational philosophy - and it was reassuring to know that holding radical views about many aspects of the artificial world in which we independent schoolteachers live is nothing new. But you'll have to wait until I retire before I start pontificating about all that!

Now I am reading Alex Stobbs' book, 'A Passion for Living', which is deeply moving and enables me to put my own thoughts into perspective. His mother's 40 page introduction is something not to be missed by any parent.

Two of my passions when I am here is deepest Dorset - other than my family, of course! - are my motorbike and Thomas Hardy. It will not take much to conclude that the common factor in that is T.E. Lawrence, and, by combining all three, I am able to continue my discovery of the world about which Hardy wrote with such consummate assurance and craftsmanship.

Another passion is my piano. I am currently returning to Bach's '48' preludes and fugues and am relieved to discover that I can still get through the ones that I really enjoy (especially the C major and D major, the latter of which is a real gem, in my opinion) and have a pretty good stab at the rest.

I had a very nice e-mail from Monash University in Melbourne, telling me that the powers-that-be have decided to renew my research fellowship for another two years. I am working with the university and with the National College of Music in creating Afghanistan's first dedicated music college. My remit has been to design the music curriculum for the college, whose pupils will enter at 4 and go on until 19, and, as you can imagine, it has been a challenging, but immensely rewarding 'holiday project' for the past two years! There will be a total of 300 students, of which 50% will be orphans from the ongoing unrest in the region. Working closely with the Ministry of Education in Afghanistan is an amazing, though sometime frustrating, experience. Anyway, we're getting there, and the Afghanistan National Institute of Music is scheduled to open on March 23rd, 2010.

Gosh, have I really written that much?! Time to stop, methinks. Isla needs a walk - and so do I. Have a wonderful time, wherever you are.