You must despair of your sons' lodgemeister: you log on every night, loyal followers that you are, to see that there's nothing there. I am so sorry - and I hope you can forgive.

Tonight was a very special night. You know how, sometimes, things just click? Well tonight was one of those. I returned from a very convivial time at the staff room annexe, with my friends Randolph and Bryan, during which we endeavoured to outdo each other with our private tutoring stories (Mr R outdoing us both with consummate ease for royal reasons) to an LM who, to my great surprise and delight flung his arms around his lodgemeister and thanked me for 'a brilliant year'! It was I who thanked him for being so brilliant, and I confess that I had to retire for a few minutes while reaching for the Kleenex in the kitchen.

As for last night, well, I have to confess that there was no post simply because I was, frankly, and not to put too fine a point on the matter, knackered. I think I'd tried to be a little over ambitious over the weekend and beyond, and that's never wise. I must tell you, though, that one of the plusses that has come out of the various activities is that I connected with the British Council, and, following my follow-up, they have said that they might like me to act as one of their consultants, which is rather exciting!

Tomorrow is Expeditions Day, in which Mrs C and I will be off to Warwick Castle, and then in the evening we're hosting a party for all of our colleagues - in the Newton garden, we hope. If the weather holds, it will be a good do. Here's hoping.

Goodnight.