Well ( as I was always taught not to start any piece of writing), there are just one or two nerves on show tonight, pre-Eton test day. I spoke to the Newtetonians collectively and gave them the benefit of my wisdom (didn't take long) and how they could best perform tomorrow. They all listened attentively and were duly appreciative. The rest, as Elmore Leonard almost said, 'is up to them'. (He actually said, 'the rest is up to you, as the last of his 'Ten Tips for Writing', which you can find on YouTube. He makes an interesting point about the verb 'said', by the way, completely contradicting what most of us learnt about using more imaginative verbs.)

It was black shoe cleaning tonight, and there were four worthy winners, one of whom raced to the phone after having won, and then raced back to his lodgeparents, conveying his papa's delight at such comforting news .... !

That's just about it, really, for tonight. Busy day for many tomorrow, so I'll bid you goodnight for now and be back on Wednesday night,

By the way, this is post number 496!

Goodnight.