Thanks

to the delightful Sanctandreans of Canmore, including Messrs McMorrin and Cusack, for Rosary, tea and much amusement before my paper yesterday afternoon. I do apologise for being over-nervous, over-caffeinated and over-talkative. Happily, sitting on a rock on the sands proved reasonably conducive to rewriting a conclusion, and the seminar seemed to go all right. Nobody fell asleep - which in history departments is, in my experience, the exception rather than otherwise - and in any case they gave me a very good dinner afterwards. So if it was awful and my nascent reputation is dead before its birth, at least I was comforted with venison and red wine.

I recommend St James's on the Scores in St Andrews to anyone passing through. Lovely wee church.