It had to happen eventually, but Jacqs and I were woken by a crash from downstairs at 0500 this morning. I looked out of the window and saw that both of our cars had mysteriously disappeared from the driveway.

Seems that the burglers had come in through a back window, half-inched the car and door keys, let themselves out front and taken the cars, leaving somebody in the house to take our VCR, DVD player, laptops etc.

Of course, my first priority was my Empeg (well, OK, my first priority was calling the police, then cancelling my mobile phone, then.... well, OK, the Empeg came a little way down the list). I'd taken it out of the car as I do every time I get out and left it on a table downstairs. It was, of course, gone.

I went to pick my car up this afternoon - seems that they couldn't cope with a LHD and dumped it. Jacqs' wasn't as lucky and is a touch-and-go insurance write-off. The Empeg had, unsurprisingly, gone.

It seems that house burglaries are on the up as more and more cars can only be stolen with the keys - more fool us, I suppose, for leaving the keys downstairs and visible.

So... On the good side, I get a new Mk2a when (I hope it's 'when', not 'if') the insurance pay up. On the bad side, I've lost a load of stuff.

Ho well, on with life. I won't mention the five other catastrophies which have struck us in the last fortnight.

To those of you I chat with (ir)regularly, please excuse my absence for the next few days.

Nicholas.