You know, I really like the Skeptic column in Scientific American. And yet.

Today the car went to the garage for a mystery electronics problem. Three garages, numerous mechanics and two computers can’t find the problem.

Then I went for a bike ride. After four miles, one of the cogs of the derrailleur went flying. Limped back to town and went to visit bike shop. ‘Hey’, says the guy, ‘not just your gears that’s a problem - look at the front wheel’. And right enough, there are two huge splits in the metal wheel. ‘Could burst at anytime’. Yeah, like when I’d be coming back over the top of the moors at about 50mph….

And this evening was in the red room, as we call, it sorting out books. Gently closed the door behind me to do some more organising and there was a tremendous crashing, like the house was falling down. Which it partly was. Half the plaster of the ceiling - inch thick Victorian stuff - had fallen down.

I know this is all coincidence but it does er, shake one up somewhat.

ceiling1.jpg