Gilded youth and how to pass the time

Of what, you might ask, does my glamorous life consist? Long, lazy holidays, oak-panelled libraries and intellectual discussion? Dry sherry in the senior common room?

Not exactly. I've just returned from a three hour meeting with six other people on the ramifications of grading caretakers as C or B on Question 43. It was a fascinating insight into management techniques, and everything unfolded as my briefing predicted: decisions taken suddenly hadn't been taken, minutes were available only to the other side (despite my colleague being on the panel which had taken a decision), definitions were fudged, dubious alliances were mooted and voices were raised. The past was rewritten and everybody went home older, unhappier and none the wiser (except that my Marxist principles were once again reinforced - sorry Ewar!).