Drove down very early this morning with a car full of musical instruments which I deposited at the vicarage. Then I headed the bishop's house for lunch followed by the rehearsal at the cathedral. Right after the rehearsal it was straight down to the retreat and I just got back to my room (23.15 in case I don't remember to preserve timestamps on these posts).

Okay, so how to survive the retreat:

• Pray that you have a good bunch on retreat with you. I honestly don't think I could have done any better unless I was with the Naughty Table or the Tea Club from college. The people around you will always make a huge difference in any context, especially this.
• Take a book. Not something published by Kingsway, not something on the subject of theology, something totally unimproving. This is the same rule as for selection conference. Then I took a Pratchett book, this time The Book of Dave by Will Self.
• Take other forms of entertainment. I have with me season seven of The West Wing on DVD and my DAB radio. If you have an iPod or other digital audio player, take it.
• Go to the pub. Just go. That's where I just returned from. Go to the pub. In case that wasn't clear: Go To The Pub.
• Then, once you've made sure you'll stay sane, pray and make the most of the space the retreat affords you.