In new evidence of my less-than-stellar scheduling skills, at around the same time this afternoon I am supposed to be helping Emily host a chocolate fondue with a bunch of her friends here, picking someone up from the station, and listening to Sophie play the recorder at the school's open afternoon.

However, because I am on holiday, because the sun is shining, because my house is clean and there are flowers in it, because I have just spent an hour in the garden in a deckchair with my coffee and the Guardian - I have complete faith that I will in fact be able to be in three places at once.

Or at least, complete faith that it won't kill anyone to have to wait a bit for me to arrive.