Hmmph.

Mystère is not impressed. I have given up hope of his ever making friends with our perfectly inoffensive neighbour, who feeds him when we're away but never sees him. After two bowls of cat food he's recovered sufficiently to sit on my lap. And I haven't blipped him since March!

A long day of travel. Yesterday we belatedly discovered that the M62 had been closed all day and into the night because of an accident involving 44 tonnes of butter and 21 miles of stationary traffic. So we got up very early and were relieved to discover that it had reopened. It was still heaving with traffic though, and there were moments when we were almost motionless. I have really gone off driving in the UK -- it's so crowded that the slightest incident results in massive tailbacks.

We got to the airport in plenty of time though, and eventually arrived home at about 6 after all the usual queueing and general hassle of air travel. A quiet evening in is planned, and I'll try to catch up with blips! Thanks for all the comments, hearts and stars during my absence.