Good evening, everyone, and a very warm welcome to our new Follower in Iran! You are most welcome, and I hope you will continue to be with us.

Thank you for your comments about the minimalism of last night's post ... I'm sorry, but there really wasn't much to talk about! I could have regaled you with a full and detailed account of my meeting with a colleague, in which a Leoville-Barton '96 did actually feature, but to do so would be to impart a load of staff gossip - and I'm sure you wouldn't want to know all that ....... (!)

Today has been a very enjoyable day. For me it started with a leisurely breakfast with Mrs C, as there were so few boys in the lodge, and thence to the local United Reformed Church to play for their morning service. ('Summer Fields in the Community', you see, and guess who's in charge of that?!) The organ is on its last legs, but I did manage to work around it, and apparently no-one knew the difference. So, so much for my expert playing.

Lunch a trois was very nice, with a full roast prepared lovingly by Mrs C, accompanied by a very quaffable bouteille, and tonight, Chapel, with the Revd Markham (OS) was extremely cordial, and the various anthems and hymns seemed to go well, notwithstanding the Chaplain deciding to re-order the order of service, which resulted in some interesting choreography with the director of music and your correspondent! (aka total panic.)

For various (behavioural) reasons tonight I found myself in a bit of grump in the lodge. I had been to the first half of the post-service bash with the HM, you see, which was extremely pleasant, but I was displeased to learn from Mrs C, on my return, with whom I was boitant et coitant, as one says in Franglais, that some of the inmates had been somewhat recidivistic.

When I get grumpy, I become somewhat taciturn, monosyllabic, and dismissive. (Yeah, nice.) So I wasn't that receptive to a few conversation starters, which seemed to have the desired effect of my questioners getting into bed a little more promptly than otherwise.

I grumped around the dorms, monosyllabically responding to 'stuff', and then I was suddenly aware of a conversation coming from behind the door of the upstairs common room.

"Silent Reading', I grumped.

'Yes, sir'.

I should explain that there were Scalextric parts all over the floor at this point, and satire took over.

"No, don't worry: I'll tidy this up. It should only take me about quarter of an hour". (Basil Fawlty would have been proud of me.)

"Sir, would you mind if we left it like this until tomorrow? I've been trying to get it going with WD 40, but I don't think it's really working. I'll have another go tomorrow.'

I melted, of course. And thinking how beastly I'd been for the past ten minutes, guilt had the better of me - and I went and asked the Adventure Quest boys how their weekend had been.

I'll grow up - one day.

Goodnight.