Tomorrow, officially, is the first day of my six month sabbatical from paid employment. My plan, simply, is to write. To see what I can achieve (unfortunate, work-tainted word) with a period of uninterrupted time. Uninterrupted, except for interruptions I choose, from hourly mugs of coffee, to gazing out the window at the comings and goings in the car park below (endlessly fascinating, especially the skittish squirrels chasing each other up and down and across the immature plane trees), or for cultural sustenance in the form of an exhibition or concert or even reading – proper, whole books, rather than just reviews and magazines.

But writing first, and then the other enrichments and rewards of life in London. Starting (continuing, actually) at 9:00 a.m. on Monday 1st November, when I sit down at my desk with my second mug of coffee for the day.