I know, it may be a bit of a surprise to hear, especially at this time of year, but this weekend has actually been quite pleasant. I was working on Saturday, but I buoyed up by the knowledge that we were planning to go see W & B and their daughter afterwards. As a result, the torrential downpour that dominated the day did nothing to alarm me – even though several ceiling tiles in the main workplace staircase began to bow alarmingly.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Lady P and Lord H make an appearance mid-afternoon as they stopped in mid-Christmas shopping – and they were there to witness me eject a couple of delightful urchins who were combining vaping, a hoverboard, and a homemade slalom course through the shelving units. It’s never dull in the library. At least they didn’t get eaten by the books or summon up anything they couldn’t put down.

One lightning round trip to pick up Lady M later, we barrelled down to the South Coast and had a lovely slow evening eating a late supper and breaking into a bottle or two. A restful night’s sleep and a late cooked breakfast later, and we could appreciate the turning leaf colours as we meandered back home.

Aside from some interesting driving decisions made by fellow travellers on the motorways, it was stress-free and just a good chance to unwind before the Christmas chaos begins.

Next weekend I’m being introduced to some of Lady M’s co-workers. Dearie, dearie me…