Happy New Year!

In anticipation of my old school's 125th anniversary next academic year, I have started working one day a week in its recently created Archive Centre. My task is to find material suitable for an 'Open Day' exhibition, when prospective pupils and their parents visit. After only four days, I have uncovered all sorts of fascinating stuff - but none of it ideal for exhibiting to any but aficionados. I did find my own personal file (which I have hidden). Clearly, I have to keep looking for more suitable exhibits!

For only the second time in my life, I saw a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta 'Ruddigore'. This was by the Abbot's Langley Gilbert and Sullivan Society, at the Palace Theatre, Watford. The tunes and plot are much less well known than many other of their works, but they were tackled with the energy and enthusiasm which I remember from the same company's production last year of 'The Gondoliers'.

It would appear that mine is the only house in the road that requires planning permission to add a conservatory. Foolishly I have decided to join in their game, the opening skirmishes of which have proved typically unsatisfactory. I sense that this will feature in several future blogs!

Already the snowdrops are in bloom in my garden. Is this global warming?

Reading this looks like I haven't been very busy this month. Well, it didn't seem like it!