Wednesday 6 January

Was looking forward to waking up to a white New Year but no such luck, just wet everywhere. Had to tidy up for the cleaner before arriving at work late. It started snowing today so left early. I have achieved a bit of filing and photocopying and one of our singers has let us down for the January party. He hasn't come up with anyone else to take his place so will have to seek out someone.

Kooky rushed through the cat door soaking wet so towel dried him for a bit. Put the fire on to help him.

Looks like the vipers are gathering in the Labour party. They want to force a leadership vote just as we go into a general election. I suppose we will definitely have to get used to having the tories now, with labour in disarray before the start.

Having purchased a neat little bureau I went for bust and made an extremely cheeky less than half-price offer on three chests of drawers on Ebay. One is a rather elegant bowfronted chest which will go in my bedroom. The other two are slightly baroque Belgian efforts painted in a Farrow & Ball pale creamy colour - one will go under the telly in the living room and still provide useful storage space, and the other, low and smaller, will go in the studio. It means I have to dismantle the two very cheap IKEA cupboards which I purchased as a temporary measure. I shall bring a wood chest up from my bedroom and put it where it used to be, in the hall. This will provide much more storage for me and I will have quite decent looking stuff, too. The carriage is free too, saving £40-£90. I offered £600 for all three. The price was over £1000. Having said that I only paid half price with free transport for the desk which I bought originally, but that was rather more expensive in the first place. With the help of Pierre's Christmas contribution I am improving the place a lot.

I shall take Julian to Gray's on Friday or Monday to see if we can find anything interesting.