As I type, I can hear the sound of Dr Dean's dulcet tones as he summons the troops to his fortnightly reading session. How acquiescent are the young ...... !

Newton is almost back to full strength once again, after the recent outbreak of the Plague, and we are now sailing towards Short Leave, lurching up and down and from side to side, no doubt, in a manner that would win plaudits from 'Deadliest Catch'. I do enjoy that programme, but, just like 'Ice Road Truckers', I suppose once you've seen one episode, you've seen them all. Mrs C doesn't understand what I see in them, though, and wouldn't want to watch even one episode, let alone several.

It was our daughter Alice's birthday on Tuesday, and I completely forgot to mention that, but really only because she had her 'treat' tonight, which involved a group of her school friends and her having a slap-up feast at that ever-popular watering-hole, Pizzeria Mama Mia. I don't know what the Newtonians thought of such attractions walking past, but I shouldn't think they minded much.

Until tomorrow, then.