I sometimes wonder what on earth someone of my age is doing looking after a lodge of 27 ten and eleven year olds. Many years ago I was told by a member of staff at another school that 'housemastering is a young man's job', and for a while I thought they were probably right. But when a LM comes up to you, flings his arms around you and asks 'Sir, why do you have to leave?' and then bursts into tears, you feel like crying yourself, and you remember why you do this amazing thing. I reassured my charge that whatever happened, I'd always be there for him, and he regained his composure, but such moments really do make one realise just what a privilege it is to look after your little men.

'twas a good evening in Newton tonight, with the cleaning of black shoes, and four worthy winners being rewarded edibly, which went down very well, although there were a couple of protestant voices that opined that they'd never won! They will: don't worry.

I was regaled by numerous jokes and riddles tonight, some of which were very amusing and some of which were very clever.I reciprocated with the story of the three bishops on a conference, each of which knelt down at the end of the day and asked the Almighty about whether some unlikely sporting event would occur. The first two received the response that yes, it would happen, but not in their lifetime, but the third, who enquired of something particularly lucidrous and outrageous, was told that yes, it would happen, but not in His (Her) lifetime. It's funnier if you hear it live, I must admit. The former Lord Lieutenant of Dorset told me that one. (If you're reading this, Philip, it was very good - and you told it rather better than I did ..... !)

Elder daughter Hannah passed her penultimate exam, you'll be glad to hear (no doubt!), so now she's just got finals and one more piece of coursework to do and she'll be Miss Hannah Cheater, BA (Hons.) And we shall be v proud parents! Just think, it all lies before you .... ! And Tom is 21 on Wednesday, too: where the Dickens did those years go? It seems only yesterday that he was at SF.

Make the most of these days, my friends - and enjoy every moment. They grow up very, very quickly.

PS: There's talk of Isla getting a little 'sister'.

Goodnight.