Soooo, the rain it's bouncing off the paving slabs, drenching through everything and depriving my office of what little daylight there is - Autumn is obviously here! All hopes for an indian summer have been dashed by the laden black clouds that are constantly brooding over the hills, waiting to dump their watery load when you least expect it.

Day FOUR! yes day four! By jove this girl has the ability to surprise herself - and I don't feel as tired as I was either! Maybe there is something in this getting up early lark!

Now - thesis - plan for today - to come up with a plan m'lord, a cunning plan!

Blackadder:Am I jumping the gun here, Baldrick?- Or are the words "I have a cunning plan" marching with ill-deserved confidence in the direction of this conversation?

Baldrick: They certainly are!

Blackadder: Well, forgive me if I don´t jump up and down with glee. Your record in this department isn´t exactly a 100 per cent!

Hmmmmm well that certainly sums it up!!!

day Three in the Ph.D House and the Pimpernel is nowhere to be seen??

Well that's not true - I am here, in the office ready for day! After a great day in the NLS yesterday researching it has finally hit me I have to have a more cohesive strategy for this research. My haphazard attitude is no good! I need to draw up a chapter plan and stick to it!

It's so bewildering - and everyone else seems so clued up on it all! I keep thinking what am I missing (apart from the correct brain formation and genetic material for brilliance).

So today- I am mostly trying to think about what exactly interests me in this material and what would be interesting and practical to research! And what actually constitutes a PhD! And hopefully it will be original and I shall get some gold stars this year instead of feeling the utter failure I did last yr!

Oh Lord! It's just beginning to sound too much like a tall order!