So, here I am back in Brighton, and for the record, today's hotel room is pink.
I got to the hotel at about half past seven, and rather than grabbing provisions from the Tesco Extra across the road, I decided that a trip to a proper restaurant was in order, even if it meant looking like Billy-no-mates at my table for one.
So off I went to Giraffe, armed with a copy of today's paper to read.
And, during my burger (obviously), fruit smoothie (how very Brighton), rocky road sundae (disappointing - a couple of scoops of cheap ice cream, some little marshmallows and a pool of sauce in the bottom of the dish) and coffee, I was able to catch up with what's going on in the world.
So, I learnt that:
- the European currency is struggling on (and whilst it wasn't reported in the paper, it was at least encouraging to see that the markets seemed to react positively today to the efforts being made by the politicians)
- the journalists are enjoying taking the mickey out of Vince Cable for mucking up his tax affairs (or rather his accountants mucked them up for him)
- according to an advert, 84% of FTSE 100 companies have an ICAEW Chartered Accountant on their board (this made as a proud boast. My question is shouldn't it be 100%?)
- India is gearing up for its first ever Formula 1 race, and hopes seem reasonably high that they are more prepared for it than they were for the Commonwealth Games (could hardly be worse)
- a columnist went to the new Stratford Westfield and didn't like it, but is pleased with the news that in our shopping obsessed country, the saving ratio has improved recently (although apparently last year the average household in the UK managed to save less than £300. Mind you I can't cope with being told a bare fact like that, I have far too many questions that need to be answered about how the figure was determined before I can make any sense of it. For example is it just an average of the amounts put into savings accounts? If so, if some people took money out of savings accounts, does that net off the amount saved by others and therefore reduce the average? Also, what about two people in identical situations, one who puts £100 a month into a savings account and one who overpays a mortgage by £100 a month? Is one deemed to be a "save" and one not? Similarly what about pension contributions? Are they included - surely they should be? If they are, what about contributions made by employers for their employees? How are they measured and attributed as savings? Sorry, I'm waffling now, but being given a random £300 means nothing without knowing the answers to these and more questions!)
Finally, a little nugget from the letters page that I thought I would reproduce here as Mum and Dad might like it:
"Sir
Back in the 1980s I was singing with a group called the King's Singers. During the six-month presidency of the UK, under the rotation principle Geoffrey Howe, the Foreign Secretary, and his wife Elspeth invited us to sing at Brocket Hall and the end of a day when all the Foreign Ministers of the European Community countries had been meeting there together.
We devised a programme which included a song from each of the 12 countries, and featured a version of Old MacDonald Had a Farm in Greek. Afterwards, Geoffrey Howe congratulated us, and the other ministers also said how much they had enjoyed it. When the Belgian Foreign Minister passed he muttered out of the side of his mouth: "Marvellous! That was marvellous, the first bit of harmony we've had all day."
Alastair Hume"
Oh yes, and I did both Kenkens, but couldn't finish the crossword - was six clues off! Disappointing. Will be kicking myself when I look them up tomorrow!