Brazil, Romania and Turkey are, it seems, where parts of this blog's global audience reside, according to the stats, so, if that is you, dear Follower in distant lands, Greetings - and thanks for reading.

Tonight, back here in the homeland, the hillock that I told you about last night was, I imagined, disappearing. Not a bit of it. Just when I thought the Digestive mountain was eroding to a point of complete crumbliness, Miss Chloe opened a cupboard door in the laundry, and there were another dozen packets! Not only that, but packets of Bourbons as well! I did try to sneak out an illicit Digestive, but unfortunately the decoy I tried to engineer wasn't quite on the same wavelength, so I got caught by the Fuhrerine. (She didn't spot the Bourbon, though ..... !)

Oh my goodness, what a 48 hours (if you can have 'a' 48 hours) we've had with Tom C and his start to his university days! Suffice it to say that he ended up sleeping in a common room last night, and had it not been for the invaluable and kind assistance of a family who follow this blog, he'd probably be spending tonight in a field. So a public thank you, for all your help. I hope that he and his duvet are now re-united, and that he can sleep in the accommodation for which someone (he, at the moment, rather pleasingly) has handed over a few quid.

I was running my fingers over the ivories tonight, during a calm lodge moment, and to my delight one particular resident wandered into our drawing room and enquired, 'Sir, do you write your own songs?'

'Yes,' I replied with alacrity and played a couple of them. I'm actually trying to write one for my god-daughter at the moment - well, not at the moment, obviously, as I writing this - and it seems to be taking shape. Slowly. I hope it will be completed by Christmas. Anyway, it was nice of H**** to ask. (I bet you're wondering which one, now .... ! )

It's very quiet in the 'private side': all of our children are back in their respective institutions. No problem, though, as we have 24 of yours on loan. And very lovely they are, too.

Goodnight from a calm and peaceful Newton.