Hope the rest of the 'Spoil Milly Week' goes well for you, cold or no cold, Mills. Have fun!

` How is the ban on smoking being taken in GB?`

We`re standing outside, cluttering up the pavement and muttering in a quietly disgruntled manner. So far, no one has stormed Parliament demanding smoking rights 

Good morning DC! (or should that be Good morning Vietnam!?)

I recently woke up too. Well, to be more precise, I was woken by my phone alarm at various points between 7.30 and 8.00 and finally got up at 8.45, which meant a little bit of running to be where I am now (and not as early as I'd hoped to be here, so I really ought not to be wasting time posting this ).

I have to say, as an occasional smoker who seems of late to be tending dangerously towards dropping the 'occasional', I'm reasonably grateful for the whole having-to-go-outside thing in bars. The only thing I was really worried about was nightclubs, but I didn't go to any for the whole of July and most of August, and when I went back to my regular one on the August Bank Holiday I found they'd set up a lovely sort of smokers' garden outside the back exit, with artificial grass, chairs and cushions, and even a stall selling burgers (I couldn't have eaten a burger while I was there but de gustibus I suppose). It was quite disorienting though, having to keep going outside and realise that it was actually sunny outside, then back into the (smokeless) dark ...

Well dash it all! How else is the industrious post-grad scholar supposed to gather research material for a paper on the nocturnal activities of the chav? as if it wasn't hard enough to avoid the bullers.

Morning Mary
I've been awake for a few hours but only just got myself motivated, showered and dressed.
Sat in the garden while the day's deciding to be nice.

Mort, it's a horrible feeling when you aren't quite awake and feel as though you should be asleep.  My advice is have a restful afternoon and try to do things in the evening so you are properly tired to sleep tonight (this usually works for me!)
We've just spent an hour and a half tidying up our garage and after lunch are going to paint the summerhouse with the second coat of paint.  Weather is ok but it's clouded over since 10am and the temperature has dropped

Yes they were indeed very grateful - I could tell by the way they were staring at us in such a pointed way.  I particularly liked the way we naturally harmonised on occasions.  Trouble is I was singing along so heartily that after I got back to the hotel afterwards the sore throat took hold - and how!  I managed to keep going somehow until I got home on Saturday but I've been in bed ever since with what turned out to be a horrendous flu virus.

George, I do so hope that being in such close proximity did not put you in too much danger and that you are feeling quite well.