1215 Realise that the email I skim read from colleague earlier says Do we want to talk before we get to Mike? Realise it implies that there may be a meeting with Mike, which in turn implies I should be in London not Wiltshire

1220 Phone colleague to check but his mobile is switched off

1223 Phone Mike (the client) to ask if there is a meeting and if so what time. His PA is at lunch but there is nothing in the diary, start to relax

1245 Get through to colleague, meeting is on.

1250 Frantic change from shorts and rugby shirt (yes I know it's winter but I am cold blooded) to something resembling business casual. Difficult conversation at speed with wife about kitchen lights, unresolved on departure.

1305 in car, train leaves Pewsey at 1325 should be no problem

1307 Realise that romantic aspects of snow from bedroom window early in morning go away on ungritted country roads. Realise we have snow covering black ice. This means proceeding very, very slowly and divertiong to main (gritted) road after a scary down hill section with no traction - thank St Michael and all his Saints that there was nothing coming the other way as I could not have stopped.

1313 On main road, may still make it but following someone who is driving at 20mph in petrified state. May never have seen snow before. Finally escape by means of intimidation (don't ask).

1322 Draw into station car park at Pewsey, grab bag and run to platform.

1325 On train (just) and sit down. Check mobile for messages - Mike has phoned asking if we can postpone the meeting a day

1355 Arrive Newbury (first stop), get off train, check time of next return to Pewsey. Its not until 1453 and involves going on to Reading and then returning back to Pewsey arriving 1603. At least its a fast train with no stops. Slowly start to freeze on station platform over next hour.

1453 Train is announced as delayed due to the need to inspect a train in front of it (no idea what that means but its what they said). Cold now debilitating.

1512 Train arrives and departs for Reading, late but at least its warm. Hands start to defrost, pain intensifies.

1530 Train arrives Reading platform 5 a quarter of an hour late . Run up escalator, across bridge, down and round new barricade designed to prevent people rushing directly to train, forced to take 20 yard diversion

1533 Arrive Platform 4 as train doors are locked and 1332 leaves, sans moi

1540 despondent in waiting room with coffee and no heating; next train at 1704 will get into Pewsey at 1745 and this one will stop everywhere; Newbury (again), Hungerford and Bedwyn.

1605 Frozen solid, move platforms to try and find somewhere warm - fail completely. Begin to think that I will loose fingers and ears to frostbite. Start to realise just how many things I have to do tonight which might have been complete by now. Starting to wonder if red hot pokers are a bad idea all things considered.

1704 Train arrives and leaves on time, there are seats and a heater. Defrosting pain starts again, after ten minutes have enough feeling in fingers to get out computer and try and catch up. Start writing this blog as therapy.

1730 Pass through Newbury, see motionless figures on opposite platform, waiting and freeezing. I know how they feel

1745 Train arrives Pewsey on time, things getting better.

1748 Discover that car has parking ticket, In the haste and confusion of the morning I forgot to phone (its a useful feature that, if you don't have time to go get a ticket you can phone the station number and your registration and pay on line). More money down the drain.

1755 Car windscreen defrosted, its -3ºC and I sit and wait. Drive out of car park and slowly, ever so slowly make my way home.

1815 Arrive home. Its take twice as long as it normally does, my nerves are strung out and I fail to come up with a satisfactory answer on the kitchen light problem. Whisky calls, sorting out a flight to Belfast for tomorrow, then a days backlog. No time to cook the goose I planned for this evening so it will be a late night takeaway or a toasted sandwich if I can't face the drive into town.

For those who don't know the five points of Calvinism are: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace and Preservation of the saints. The rest I think is fairly self-explanatory.

Its not mine by the way. Original source here.

Answer to yesterday's trivia question is here

That will be followed with Anzac Christmas Pudding. I have no idea if comes from down under or not but its great to eat in front of the log fire. A 1lt bombe dish is coated inside with butter and shortbread and then a mixture of cream, brandy and mincemeat follows. After twenty minutes in the freeze this is hollowed out and the space filled with organic vanilla ice cream, almonds, pistachios and cherries. The whole is then frozen. 45 minutes before serving, remove from the freezer, dip the mould into hot water and turn it out onto a serving dish decorated with holly and cherries. After all of that, plan a very long walk for Monday.

Why this eulogy? Well one of the best examples of Radio 4 is the daily magazine Women's Hour the title of which is a misnomer as it has a large male following (including yours truly). Its lead presenter is Jenni Murray who also wrote an excellent article in today's Observer on the general folly of allowing the worlds financial institutions to be run on the testosterone drive needs of bonuses and growth at all costs. Now there is a danger of sexual stereotyping going into reverse here; nurture wins out over nature and (says he with tongue firmly in check but with a hint of seriousness), who brought up the current generation of macho financial leaders? That danger aside this article is worth reading and a visit to some of the podcasts referenced above is recommended.