Let the onslaught begin

Morning comrades! And welcome to a horrendous week: teaching begins today, and I'm covering for two distinguished colleagues who are off to sunny Bucharest for a conference. The first week is always manic: people don't know where they should be, which course they're on, and why they're here at all. Introductory lectures are a mix of erudition, reassurance and, of course, chilled-out entertainment: not easy for someone with all the comic timing and organisation of a whelk on smack.

Added to this - I'm moving house on Saturday. I've filled 16 boxes with unread books, and 7 with A-Burgess in the 'read' books, so I'm really struggling. Must find more boxes, pack, pay massive amount of money to agent, hire a van, change address, buy bookcases (many thereof) and teach this week…