What fools boredom breeds

Is it only me who can see the grime on the walls and the broken tiles? Are missing light bulbs and flaking paint in the children's rooms just small things, invisible to the normal eye?

As part of the frenzied two week period just gone, I have been waging a one man war against the dirt. The stinking pond which passes as our swimming pool has become my bête noire (or should that be bête vert?).

I suppose that cleaning a pool is a little like working with children at risk. It's a deceptively complex and sensitive process requiring daily attention, patience and care.

Neglecting these responsibilities - even for a day in this searing heat - can result in a return to stagnation and a lot of hard work to achieve restoration.