It was great to meet James Higham today, whose blog I have read for so long. His writing style is so intensely personal that I had the strange feeling of renewing auld acquaintance. James is in life as he seems from his blog; affable, erudite and articulate. It was good to exchange recollections of our very different lives in Russia, hear his theories as to what is going on in British politics and exchange opinions on the current output of our fellow-bloggers.

It was also a delight to  renew the acquaintance of Bag, my old mucker from Second Life and proprietor of the sadly-strewn-with-tumbleweed Bag's Rants blog.

We motored out into the Cheshire countryside, to the intense Italian music of Vittoria's V8, and spent pleasant hours together at the Cock o' Barton gastro pub. Thank you gentlemen, for the pleasure of your company.