No news from my fellow journalists (I will NOT use the ugly b word..) but I hope they’ve had a good weekend too.

The virus has at last retreated; the withdrawal symptoms from the anti-d’s have abated, and so I’m feeling about as good as it gets these days.

Which meant I allowed myself to be persuaded to help groom Star. A good grooming for a horse must be like a lo-o-o-ong massage. She has stopped looking like a yak but still has some winter coat left on her rump which had to be curry-combed vigorously. The nice deep rotations seemed to please her highness greatly. Then the dandy-brush which made her twitch a bit under the belly. Lots of combing of the mane ensued, (with Product to help get out the tangles) finally a good polish and a finish with anti-insect cloths. She smelled like a hair-dressing salon. When we stood back to admire our work she arched her neck and stretched the muscles of her withers in the sort of satisfied stretch a cat has, or I take when I’ve had a really good massage, so there we are - it is officialy enjoyable to have two humans working you over for 50 minutes.

I sneezed my way back up the road (I'm really VERY allergic to horses. There is no god.) After a long shower there was time to make a chicken and chorizo paella for a friend and happily there was just enough warmth in the sun to eat outside. We got through quite a bit of white wine.