As for the 'phone, Steve from IT explained to me that I can't simply be given one - there are no more licenses left (apparently we need a license for each 'phone? I no understandy), and even if they could get a license there are no sockets on the system for it to be plugged into, and it would cost about £7500 for me to be equipped with a 'phone.
But, there is the possibility that I could use the 'phone that is currently assigned to Helen, one of the analysts, who is off on maternity leave for at least the next ten months (and given the current "in flux" nature of the organisation, Phil reckons that of the two of them, only one may well still be employed by the organisation ten months from now). I, however, will need to get in touch with my boss to ask her boss to release it to me. Sounds more complex that it's worth, but I may well do that. Tomorrow.
Got home in a fairly good mood, did some diary and reading, and then went down to cook my dinner, only to discover that although the kitchen has now been returned to a state of something approaching normality, the cooker still hasn't been wired up but the replacement mini-cooker has been removed, so cooking some spuds and peas = a no-go. Blast! Ended up nibbling some bread, cheese and tomatoes, but actually wasn't very hungry and didn't finish most of what I'd put on the plate. Oh well.
Asked Rita to record Lennon Naked, and the went to bed.