With a little help from my friends.

Strange kind of day today.

I arrived at my destination just a few minutes into the day in time to get my head down for a few hours kip.

Then to examine six instructors near Basildon before setting out on the slow journey home.

Michael Palin's audio version of his diaries on the first part of the journey home then All Request Friday Monday on the radio for part two. Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall - along with other legendary sounds all wrapped round Rick Wakeman, live in the studio, made the journey more bearable.

At least until the A5 at Shrewsbury was reached. What is it about promises that people make these days? Does it really take almost seven months to put an extra lane on two roundabouts and still fail to get the job finished for the Friday before Christmas? Must be the ice, snow and hard weather we have had of late which has held them up!

Then the sad news of the death of Joe Cocker and then the news from Glasgow following that.

Puts it all in perspective really.