My apologies. I know that a number of you have been bloggerlogging and discovering that there is no news to read. Assume, therefore, gentle Followers, that, as the cliche says, no news is good news and all is well, both here and over there. And if you haven't yet read Sarah Sheldon's report, please do. I think she's setting up in competition as a blogger.

It's been very quiet since the troops departed, and yes, absence does make the heart grow fonder. The good news about that is that we are looking forward to seeing them again, and the bad news is for anyone who was rather hoping that such tranquillity would make us realise that we're too old for this lodgemastering lark. To any such, I say 'tough. We're not going anywhere. Yet.' Sorry, I hope that hasn't made too many teacups fall to the ground, or caused an excess of Bateman cartoon impressions in the environs of the dreaming spires and beyond. I must be losing my sense of diplomacy in my advancing years. I shall be saying things like 'Oh, per-lease! or (a la Gordon B) 'Get real', before long.

Question of the day, froma First Year, asked in all seriousness: "Sir, have you ever seen a mouse with a jet-pack on its back?" To be honest, I haven't, but, to be fair, I haven't really been looking out for them. Perhaps they've all been covered in volcanic ash.

Let's hope that we can soon get this 'Celebrity PM' or 'Somewhere over in Cloud Cuckoo Land' or whatever it's called, over and done with as soon as possible. No-one really wants to commit to anything - and who can blame them. Oh well, it could be worse: we might all be living in Greece. And who'd want to live in a country that has sun, beautiful beaches, culture, ancient history, amazing musea, great sailing, mythological islands ...... ?

I'll write again before the Newtonians return.