Well, here I am, back in Back Bay. It has been an uneventful journey, and I’m pleased to say that I’m getting quite competent with Boston’s public transit system.

Because I was going direct from Somerset (courtesy of an evening flight) I was very cautious about being in London on time and consequently had ages to wait in Heathrow. The lines at check-in and security went very quickly. Most of the security madness has disapated, but I note that mascara is still a dangerous terrorist weapon. Also they are being absurdly strict about the one carry-on rule: no handbags, no camera bags, no what the Americans amusingly call “fanny packs”. This does stop the idiots who bring on two massive suitcases claiming that one is a “handbag”, but it is also catching a lot of people out.

Courtesy of the tax-free Virgin store at Heathrow I picked up an actual physical copy of the new Scissor Sisters album, and also a two-disc best of the Mekons collection, Heaven & Hell (featuring the famous Langford). More on these later. Tomorrow I get to go browse in Borders.