Had quite a good weekend. Lehna came on Friday and we went to 'Ning' - the oddly named but brilliant Thai and Malay restaurant in the Northern Quarter. I had Pad Thai - a traditional dish by all accounts - and it was lovely, really geniune too according to Lehna who knows a thing or two about SE Asian food. The beer which I've heard so much about - Beerlao - didn't come cheap (£3.95 a bottle), but it went down well, especially with this type of food which makes you pretty thirsty.

Saturday morning - up relatively early (no monging until 12 like last week) and off on the train to Edale in the Peak District - did a quick walk halfway up Kinder Scout and it was lovely - will definately be making a few more trips eastwards while I am in Manchester.

Came back, dropped Lehna off at Piccadilly, marked some books then went out for a few drinks with James, Chris, Rach and Heather.

Sunday - more marking (done properly it takes bloody aaaages!), then off to The Waterhouse for Sunday dinner and a reunion with the Jaffa Cakes - friends from my trip to Israel. Conversation naturally revolved around the teaching profession and the Holocaust (riveting) and it was good to see everyone on home turf. Then it was home and - guess what - more marking, and some planning.

A pretty full weekend, much fun was had - I'm doing something every weekend until half term - plenty play will keep me sane as the work keeps rolling in - I've not got Sunday night depression - things must be looking up...

Tory party conference this week.