I have succumbed to the lure of the tile shop. On Saturday we purchased a new shower for the main bathroom and looked at tiles. The young master has egged me on (not that I needed much egging once I got into my stride) and we have selected and ordered a beautiful turquoise/aqua mosaic tile that we'll use. My wise friend Leila has also pointed out that this will be an ideal towel purchasing opportunity. Quite right too. In the evening, we went to a colleague's surprise 50th birthday party. Had a good time and it was nice to see him enjoy himself so much, surrounded by his family, friends and colleagues. I attach a photo - it was also memorable for him wearing a tie - not something he does ordinarily.

Sunday was very relaxed - old school friends Robin (without her husband who was poorly) and Christopher (without his partner, who was working) came over for lunch. We did a peasant casserole with Heaven and Earth mash, followed by date and toffee pudding - successful and delicious. A really enjoyable day, discussing gardening and putting the world to rights over a glass of red wine - can there be anything more pleasant on a cold Sunday afternoon?

Work is now a swirling morass of rumour and counter rumour. As my boss is now leaving, the Operational Managers have been asked to put their heads together and re-organise - as is always the case, there is now a healthy mix of gossip, innuendo, fact and downright fantasy. I am enjoying the process, as the rumours are very entertaining. I will write further on this as matters become clearer.