Feb 18th

Up early for a lesson at 8 with cheery J. I gaze out of the window and the frost has turned the landscape a glorious frosty white. Jumping on the scales, I discover one benefit of two days' illness as they cheer me up with 13st 8lbs.
It's a good trip over to Chinnor and J does really well. I drop him at work and head home where the kids are up with their heads in screens. Pascale pops in to pick up MA, and then I have to get over to Thame for T and his test.
T is the best driver I have ever taken to the test centre, and by a distance. M was good, but T is better. He is confident too, and should have no problems whatever. We arrive at the test centre, and I wave him on his way. Three others go out on test with him.
I meet R from the association and go to the cafe to get a coffee. Also meet K for the first time. Seems a nice enough chap.
The candidates return. R's first, racing into the car park like a Formula One car. Thumbs down there. Then Ks'. Again hurtling into the car park. No joy either. T arrives and sweeps in majestically, bringing the car to a gentle halt. Perfect. He looks relaxed, and composed. Well done that man!
But no, a minute later, and F is beckoning me to the car. What can have gone wrong. F was complimentary. 4 minor mistakes, easily avoidable, which could have given him a perfect drive. But alas, one momentary misjudgment causes another car to slow down, and that is that.
He is gutted, but takes it in his stride. He is off to the US in a fortnight and hopes to get another test before he heads off, though at present I am having trouble finding a suitable date.
A new case in the evening, reccommended by the strange R of a few weeks back, but this guy is very different. A real nice guy.
At home in the evening watch Panorama, investigating the environmental impact of the bottled water racket. Claridge's have a water menu with bottles of the stuff going for up to £19 a hit. Apparently it takes 7 litres of water to make one plastic bottle to put one litre of water in.
Ever conscious of the environment, Panorama's intrepid reporter manages to choose Fiji as the perfect destination to travel to in order to demonstrate the problem and duly travels half way round the world with a film crew to prove the point.