A Sinister Masked Prowler and a concomitant lack of sleep

I had a nice night last night. My brother, Niall, and I went out to Newcastle-under-Lyme, picking up our friends, B, N and L. B's been recuperating from painful medical rays, so this is the first time she's been out in a while. We met up with our friends Mawbs and Tim, and had a few drinks with them. They trundled off, and we headed off for a curry, which took us almost up to 1am. We dropped them off and headed home, where we found poor Dad still up at gone half one. Spot, our darling wee rabbit, comes in of an evening, and Niall usually puts him out for the night. He assumed Mum would, but no. So poor Dad had stayed up to keep an eye on him. I have a cunning method of catching Spot, which works a surprising share of the time. I stand before the fireplace, and he runs over to me, letting me pick him up!

Out we took Spot, then Niall poked at the internet, looking at shares, I think. During that time the milkman came. That chap must do a lot of work, as he seems regularly to come about 2 or so every morning. A bit later Niall went off to bed, and I came into Dad's Study to poke at the internet and edit Englishman some more. That's a comedy series. Watch this space. Anyway, about 4am a movement caught my eye. A few years ago some people broke into the house through one of our side windows, and stole a load of Dad's things. So now we have locks all over the place and even some (black and white) CCTV. The movement was on the CCTV. Some bloke in a light-coloured tracksuit was right outside the porch, looking around. We're set back from the road a little distance, and we've got neighbours who aren't, so we would be nobody's first choice if they broke down at 4am.

Even if they did break down and decide to bother us rather than our neighbours, they would not be wearing a mask that covered their face except for some eyeholes. I was on the 'phone to the police straight away, and they came round in a few minutes. I felt it incumbent on me to wake up poor Dad, who'd had to stay up already. When the police arrived, we walked around the garden, but couldn't find any trace of the guy in the tracksuit. We've had folk in the garden before, we know, as we've found drinks cans and bottles. It's impossible to lock down the perimeter: hedges do not a prison make.

So Dad went off to bed, and I said I should stay up until someone else woke up. Needless to say, I am currently (half seven in the morning) both shattered and sure that nobody is going to be up before ten. Again, needless to say, I haven't seen any indication that the sinister dude has returned. If anyone fancies taking over this watch so I can get some shut-eye, do say!