Indeed! I ALWAYS lock – Rio unlocked once at the critical moment, but no spectators! pouring with rain all day here – a small break fora mullberry trip to the lake.

Visiting the toilet facilities on the high speed Southern service back to Barnham from Gatwick, I found myself morphing into Mr L David. I mean, what was wrong with the old fashioned, simple, hinged door cubicles? Gruesome to use, naturally, but eminently practical. No, someone has to devise a ludicrous, crescent shaped entrance wide enough for a car, that opens and closes laboriously at the touch of a button, giving forth to an open plan playground with the same pitiful throne as always wedged into one corner, topped with the familiar stained lid and seat, which need flipping open gingerly with the tip of a shoe, before a urine stream can be sent hopefully in the right direction.

Of course, as soon as I began, the driver applied his brakes and, since there were no nearby walls to lean against, I was jolted off balance, causing liquid mayhem. As I struggled to regain control, the massive door started opening, revealing my antics to half the carriage. Too late, I realised I had forgotten to press the ‘lock’ button.

Can someone explain why the electronic door of a toilet should ever need to shut without at the same time locking itself? What possible eventuality would have a person venture into one of these hideous contrivances, shut the door behind themselves, and be content to have anyone open it while they were inside?

The inventor should be made to stand naked in his own unlocked cubicle while spectators open and close the door at will.

While we’re about it, he or she had engineered three orifices where punters were directed to place their hands: one to bleed soap, another to squirt water, a third to belch hot air. Only the water worked, which explains why wads of damp tissue littered the floor, to which I added a couple of fistfuls of my own.

Hello hope everyone is well. How’s the weather in your area of France? The weather forecast said it is going to be sun, sun, sun in Toulouse with a high of 30 on Saturday. It’s dismal here; rain, wind, rain, wind followed by humid overcast afternoons.
Looking forward to the spare room. Truly DESPERATE to catch up on sleep. Really looking forward to seeing you all and having a much needed relax.

Liv – I like the colour scheme, however, I can’t see how I publish this now. I think there is a button that says ‘Post it’ underneath this, but only half is showing. Is this part of the new minimalist design?

Surprise indeed!! Jul is nestling in the spare sare room – liv and han will have a job moving him!!

Perhaps we should chose pictures representing us rather than likenesses? Such as:

Or indeed,

I’m not sure the squashed faces showing alongside the replies to posts or in ‘recent comments’ are an improvement on the full image. Jul looks like a dachshund and Liv a Halloween lantern. Also, the background colour scheme seems a tad unadventurous – I mean, there is no colour!