Bright and breezy

8.27am. Woke up at 5am convinced that I had overslept, checked the time, closed my eyes again, to be woken by the alarm at 7am. Surprisingly good night.

Got showered (still fighting with the temperature control in the shower; one arcminute of turning the handle seems to move it from freezing to the surface temperature of the Sun), shaved, dressed, and then I had a text from Paul, asking if I was going to breakfast for 8.

In the end I was ready sooner, so I headed out of the door and down the slow towards the dining hall. Considering it is August, and despite being in the north, I would not expect it to feel so cold. It is freezing cold up there this morning. The BBC says 19 degrees, but I would be surprised if it were half that.

I sat at breakfast with Tim (and the other strange guy) and we chatted about all sorts. Tim is a lovely guy. I had forgotten what an interesting job he has; he looks after horses, and takes them via special flights all over the world. At the moment he flies with them to Miami twice and Dubai once a week, but then the next month he might have next to nothing to do. Sounds very interesting.

Paul arrived, looking like he had been dragged through a hedge backwards, and we listened to some of the stories from last night. Turns out Van Mildert has a contingent of mainly young female psychology students, and a far better stocked bar than Grey.

I just felt smug because I was in bed by 11pm, he didn't get to bed until 3am. Silly man. I hope he will be stepping up to the mark in the lab today, otherwise I think Roy is quite within his rights to feel narked.

Talking of which, I wonder what is going to happen with Roy today, whether the promised bailiff and restraining order are going to arrive. I hope he knows that he can turn to Kirsten of course but also to me, Paul, Andy or Tim for moral support.

More later, just about to head off for the second (apparently more interesting) half of the Compton scattering experiment. But first we have to finish the lengthy calibration of the equipment before we can get started. And then this afternoon, it's the afternoon off, and the boat race.

Paul originally had a brilliant idea that we should all get dressed up as pirates, fly the Jolly Roger and screw holes in neighbouring boats. Perhaps not awfully sporting but the idea kept us amused for ages.

Off to the lab to play with gamma rays.