Despite the royal engagement, we were out clearing the leaves today, and filling our brown bin to its brown brim. Meanwhile, journalists all over the world found original ideas flowing out of their brains and down the drains at an unprecedented rate of knots. TV coverage was pretty much unwatchable. Poor Kate: afloat on a sea of other people’s clichés. They should  change their names and live quietly in a big house somewhere in Scotland.

At least the weather is good, solid autumn sunshine. Yesterday I walked back through the city and bought a couple of things while Dot disappeared into the Eaton area for some kind of sale. In the evening I managed a fairly tame draw at chess and came home to find Roger and Dot drinking sherry, which seemed very civilised, so I joined them. Roger had brought Dot’s birthday present from Jessie, which was something in a large box. She doesn’t know what it is, but I do. We may have arranged to do something together at Christmas, but I’m not sure.

At the weekend we visited the Hendersons at their large house somewhere in London, and had a fine time, though the weather was less impressive. I did watch a bit of school rugby with Paul, but otherwise we stayed in, ate, drank and talked. A convivial time. Travel was not too bad, though we got into a bit of congestion on the Newmarket bypass going down and at the Blackwall tunnel coming back. We’ve arranged for Dot and Barbara to stay at the Hendersons’ when they visit Dulwich College prep school for P4C in January. The dynamic duo have also got an overnight visit to Dudley set up in February. Business is booming.