We all thoroughly enjoyed the First Year play tonight - and it was terrific. Mrs Stoop's debut as director was one to remember for all the right reasons and she can afford to be very proud.

It was all pretty liberal here tonight (yet with firm hand just touching the tiller, just in case things should go awry. Which they didn't.) The ubiqutous 'it' was leagues, cords and guernseys tonight, and once we'd collected them all in, we were able to enjoy an evening which offered the options of games in the dorms, 'Bang Goes the Theory' on TV in Curlew, or Heart FM in the common room. All accompanied by orange segments, custard creams and the last remaining geological evidence that there had once been a chocolate mountain. It was suggested by one resident that the common room should be re-styled as the 'Newton Club', as there was a fair amount of dancing to the music going on, so I'm waiting for a suitable name to be dreamt up!

As for the decorations saga, I am pleased to report (although the Newtonians are not pleased to learn) that the pronouncement from on high, which has now become an SF numbered policy (something like SF/6574/Dec/09/RB/CS/1a, and it forbids the embellishment of any dorm until after the forthcoming short leave, and then only with the express per of the Deputy Head. (Who will probably have to access a permission form from the policy file before it can be authorised.)

And talking of dancing, as I was earlier, picture the following scene:

Me, on seeing a Heronian dancing in a rather eccentric manner: "Would you mind getting into your bed, rather than performing Japanese ballet?"

Another Heronian: "Sir, what does Japanese ballet look like?"

Me (without hesitation; it's that time of term): "Like this."

I then, for reasons that any psychiatrist would explain rather quickly, decided to give a demonstration of the said dancing genre, including what I thought was a rather good pirouette, culminating in a leap across the floor.

"Like that." I said.

Once the Heronians had picked themselves up from under their duvets and wiped their eyes (in amazement, I think, I told them that that was probably the first and last time a Newton lodgemaster would give a demonstration of Japanese ballet.

Oh well, Tom's off to Japan for seven months on Monday morning, so he can tell me all about what it's really like when he gets back.