h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Today started off bright and sunny, but since lunchtime it's been raining steadily. Good for the gardens but there's a real autumnal feel in the air - and it's only the middle of August!

Anyway, as a displacement activity for other things I should be doing (like housework, sorting my home in-tray, ironing), I have been to the station and bought my ticket for the Hebden Bridge ML meet in 3 weeks' time. I'm just going to be in HB for the day: I'll get an early train which will get me up there by mid-morning, then I'll go back to Leeds early evening and stay the night with a friend there. I did the same thing last year and it worked out really well.

Sat down with a magazine this afternoon and fell asleep. When I woke up, made the final decisions re going away for a few days in September (after the two weeks or so frantic activity post-A-level results, and before the new application forms start piling up on my desk). Booked a flight from Stansted to La Rochelle and after a few phonecalls, a hotel for three nights. There's a big sailing show there which ends on the day I arrive, so some of the hotels were fully booked. Anyway I've found one right by the old port, €60 a night, which is not too bad.

The A-level results are released to universities tomorrow, so I'll be going into work in the afternoon, with the Admissions Tutor, to see how many of our applicants have made their grades. Exciting, but heart-breaking at the same time, because of the inevitable disappointments for some of them. I have to keep telling myself that even if they have missed their offer from us, they still have really good grades and will get into another excellent course.