[Helen Smith]

Well, Joebill (or rather, Jim, if I may...) I shan't be asking you which millennium it is next time I forget. I had a look at the Astronomy Picture of the Day, btw. Very nice. Looked somewhat like pomegranate seeds but apparently I was looking at the bright points on the sun.

Oh and Geoffrey, you had a thread going on in the lounge asking what was growing in people's gardens. I wanted to post a picture of the bleeding heart plant. I had a photo from last year and by the time I had stopped worrying about whether it was cheating to post that, I went back and the commenters had moved on to talking about something else entirely...

Zelda, I'm so glad you're really in Paris. I read today that they're staging a production of The Railway Children in the abandoned Eurostar Terminal in Waterloo - which has nothing much to do with anything, really, except that it made me think of you.

And hello Sparrow. And Animedude, thanks for buying the book. I missed you out from my round of grateful thanks when I was rushing out the door last time.