Today is the start of the August bank holiday weekend, and having been at school or university for every other occassion, I finally get to have a statutory day off from work. This is quite the moment; I've been waiting some time for it, and after four weeks of getting back into early mornings and the like, it is great to have an extra lie in.

So, clearly, the best thing to do with my extra day is to get up even earlier than I would usually. It turns out that BBC Radio 4's Today programme has effectively a bank holiday roadshow thing going on, and this Monday, they're in Torrington, in North Devon. Who would ever have thought? I have tickets, and will be getting up at 4am on Monday to drive up to Torrington and be in my seat for 5.30am, in order to see Jim Naughtie and the sports reporters do some outside link ups. Best of all, though, there will be audience participation, and a report into the teaching of history in schools. Will I be able to embarrass myself with my knowledge of eighteenth century America on national radio? Let's hope not.