THE CRAZY CIRCUS

It was a very tough day at the office for some of the team. My thoughts are with those affected by the news from Nigeria.

For me, the best way to lighten the mood was to spend an evening with Clara. I met Clara in 1989, when she was a teacher in a secondary school in Italy, and I was an undergraduate. I was so lucky to be given the placement in her school as an English language assistant. We have been firm friends ever since.

Clara does not respect red at traffic lights- she says there are varying shades of red; she delighted in getting me into trouble at school. Things always happen when I am with her...

...Tonight, Clara and I had dinner with four of her fellow teachers in a very trendy restaurant in central London. She lost her glasses (twice) and when she could not find her scarf at the end of the meal, she accused some innocent diners of stealing it.

We began and ended our evening in Piccadilly Circus - an appropriate place, I reckon.