What a quick leave-out that was! Still, Mrs C and I had a great time - as I hope you did - with choir direction for one of our local churches on Friday night, walks by the sea and through the countryside of Thomas Hardy, organ-playing for the service this morning, a superb Sunday lunch, a good read ('Solar', by Ian McEwan: I recommend it if you haven't read it) and a rather fine episode of Casulaty (See? I still can't type it!) on Saturday night. I found a very nice New Zealand sauvignon that proved to be eminently quaffable, and an excellent claret to accompany our beef at lunchtime. I looked at our house yesterday, and I thought that it bore an uncanny resemblance to Hardy's place at Bockhampton, which is good for a Hardy enthusiast - and if I get round to it, I'll post pics of both of them, and you can see what you think.

Tonight all has been well, with silence after lights out. We did, I admit, have a little bit of a 'difference' just before Short Leave, with your correspondent not exactly losing, more just misplacing his rag, but we had an amicable lodge meeting this evening, and we all seem to be friends again now. If you get a chance to back up my exhortations to the troops about how excessive chatting after lights out is a tad selfish, that would be great. I always tell them that there's no place in Newton for those who want to 'swim around in Lake Me'. (An American business expression, I'm told ..... !)

Cheddars, cookies (which were pronounced to be 'rather powdery' by one of our resident critics, and having tried one I'm tempted to concur), apple juice and an ancient videotape (remember them?) of The Simpsons all came together to make for a pleasant and agreeable evening.

Mrs C and Hannah C have now seen Isla's 'sister', and we have informed the Newtonians about her (not that) imminent arrival. I think she'll be here at the beginning of next term. We can't decide on a name, but there's a favourite, and more about that in due course.

Goodnight.