If it had not been for the fact that I had a builder due to come to the house to start work, and the fact that my mobile phone's battery was dead, thus preventing the calling, I would love to have called in sick today and just spent the day in bed.

I've definitely caught some sort of lurghi - probably a case of being near cold and other germs in my weakened state. I'm weakened from a year or so's living down south. 8 hours in Newcastle was enough to introduce enough into my immune system to keep it very busy.

So far, symptoms are: feeling a bit bunged up, having a rather sore throat and speaking like an ill person.

I'll struggle on a bit more, shall I?