Where have the Wardens got to?

Well, you may well be wondering where we have been for the past week and a bit. Well, we went to the Isles of Scilly for a brief holiday with the Altree clan. We spent seven jolly days in the islands, enjoying the boats and the beauty of the landscape. All good fun. D drove (I think sail might be over-stating it a little) a catamaran and we had some lovely walks on the cliff tops. Some good fish too both in the sea and on the plate! We returned this evening after a long drive back. Our little flat was still standing (is it only me that experiences a profound sense of relief when I see that the house in still intact with everything in it when you return from holidays?) and we managed to get the bags up the stairs. Even my email inboxes look relatively painless - you can't ask for much more than that when you've been away for a week.

The day before our jaunt over on the helicopter (oh yes, forgot to tell you that bit - D was not happy with that at all!) we spent a happy night in Somerset at a beautiful B&B. It really started our holiday and D made friends with a pretty wee cat. We loved Somerset - before this trip it has always been a county I have just driven through.

And so now we are back into Lincolnshire life though we both have tomorrow off as well. I'll be doing the washing! Good news arrived before we took off to Cornwall - a publishing house has taken my long-awaited book. It is due for publication next September. This is VERY exciting indeed. The publication of your first monograph is a big deal in academic circles and I'm more than delighted. I'll keep you abreast of how the project goes.

The World Cup starts tomorrow. Obviously with a Scot in the house it is a case of 'anyone but England' though I must admit that even though I'm Stockport born I'm struggling to get excited about the prospect of an England win. The Ivory Coast is my tip for the tournament - first African winners.

Anyways, I'm off to make some more tea before I fall asleep. Enjoy the weekend when it comes.

CSW