June 4th (Weds)

S has done things the sensible way. Two hours a week for 17 weeks and she is now 6 week away from a test which should not present her with a problem. J wanted to do the whole shebang in 20 hours, after which time she was hopelessly unprepared. She took another eight hours after which she insisted she wanted to do the test. I have grave misgivings. i have never taken a candidate to test doubting they'll pass and been pleasantly surprised.
Things don't improve when we get to the test centre and she realises she has left her theory certificate at home! Luckily F checks on the system and gives her the all clear. And low and behold, it's F again to take the test. My 8th Wycombe test on the trot which he has overseen.
They depart shakily and I fear the worst. There is one other car on test. I wander up to the cafe in the glorious sunshine which has returned to dry up the sodden landscape. In a tragedy in Witney this morning a teenage boy is trapped in a storm drain in a flood and dies before the fire service can reach him.
The other car returns first an its a thumbs down from Mr P. J is gone forever, but eventually hoves into view. I expect the summons from Fred, but to my amazement see J reaching for her licence, and F getting out the book of pass certificates.
I get a lovely hug, and then another bonus. Her Mum has come to collect her and I don't even need to drive to Hazlemere to take her home. In the euphoria though I have to come the heavy and tell her she has done no more than pass a test.She is still way off being a fully competent driver.
A is fine, a two and a half hour lesson which is totally stress three. He does a mock test and scores a similar mark to J. He is capable of a clean sheet and tell him to set that as his goal. We drive home in glorious evening sunshine through the magnificent Chiltern countryside, astonishingly lush after the recent deluge, the evening sun playing magical tricks of the light.
Elections elections. It seems finally that Hillary, for all her dogged resistance, has finally run out of steam. Obama has decided not to wait for her to quit and declare himself the candidate. H now faces an undignified scramble to be chosen as running mate,but the general opinion is that she has hung on too long to win even the silver medal.
Things are done differently in Zimbabwe. As far as I can tell, the actual results of the election there have never been released. It must have been a crushing victory for Tsingari though, as Mugabe has conceded a second round run off. The wheels of democracy turn differently hear though. Mugs storm troopers go to work whipping and beating anywhere their boss's support is deemed to be fragile, whilst Morgan finds himself banged up for 8 hours for addressing an "illegal gathering"
Meanwhile, what's happening in the world's two disaster zones, Burma and China? If you want to know don't turn to BBC, ITV, Sky or CNN, cos it's yesterday's news. No doubt to the relief of the Burmese junta, who can get back to serving their own interest exclusively, away from the nosey gaze of the world's media.