i can't think of a song with ... doh! Ruby Tuesday!

Tuesday and the last couple of days have flown past.

Sunday was another delightful day, thanks to Sue and Barry, who took me on the "Cook's Tour" around Nottingham, including "Beeston Tech" (the friendly nickname for the other University in Nottingham), Trentbridge, Notts Forest, Notts County and Nottingham Trent's Clifton Campus.

We then spent the rest of the afternoon with neighbours Adam (from Sydney) and Elsabe (from South Africa via Germany) who were as delightful as Sue and Barry. It was when Adam and I popped downstairs to the local Budgens (7-11 equivalent) to replenish the red wine supplies that the whole notion of "the migrant enclave" hit me.

Having watched folks from all over the world arrive in Sydney (the Greeks in Newtown, the Italians in Leichardt, the Vietnamese in Cabramatta and the Chinese more latterly in Carlingford, Eastwood, Epping and, especially, Chatswood), I had a "textbook" appreciation of the gathering together. Within 3 days of arriving in Nottingham, I was part of the Aussie "enclave"! I now have a much fuller appreciation of the experience and the gathering together, even to the extent of "Yep, this is an OK neighbourhood and I'd like to live around here" (sotto voce, of course, is "and I'm close to Sue and Barry, to Elsabe and Adam").

We rounded out the evening with a viewing of "Kenny", a quintessentially Australian movie about a man and his loos, and I headed back to the Welbeck well set up for the week.

Yesterday was the first full day in the office and I dutifully arrived, suitably suited and ready for action, beginning with a briefing session with Baback, the Dean. I think we get on well - we share similar views and thought processes and he is very open to ideas. This was particularly evident in the afternoon's school executive meeting where we had a very fruitful strategic planning session - it also exposed me to a very sharp, but nonetheless personable group of people with a great collective sense of humour. We did some good work throughout the afternoon and I could end the first day well satisfied with the results.

I've got an office, a phone and a laptop that works (although I don't yet have a security card, coz the folks in card services are "training"). I've got a payslip and filled out forms, met lots of people already and no-one's snarled at me or bitten my head off yet, so I'm doing more than OK. If I can just find somewhere to live .....