This is novel. I'm writing this without knowing how we, the BT Defiants table tennis team, did tonight. I had to leave, you see, to go fetch The Boy from his own Monday evening sporting activity, so don't know how it turned out.

I can tell you that the Wherstead Comets were mighty hospitable, letting me play three out of the first four games. Shame that the first one took a full 20 minutes, scraping back from 2-0 down to edge a 3-2 win. Over to Andy for a fine win -- his first of the season -- then back to me again for a quicker win.

Third and final game and I found myself needing one more end to finish the match and get away. Clock was ticking and I was already about 10 minutes past the advisable time to depart. Lose that 4th end and I'd have gifted him the 5th, victory and all. Finally nailed the point, grabbed my stuff and floored it over the bridge. Poor lad was in tears when I arrived, around 10 minutes later than promised. I am a Bad Dad.