My parents own a flat in Cupar near St Andrews, and are possibly the nicest landlords to have in the entire district. The going rate for student flats is about £400 a month and they charge about £2.50, they didn't bother with a pet deposit for their latest tenant even though they knew he owned a dog and the living room is now knee-deep in hair, and my mum regards his not usually being able to pay the rent on time as meaning that they should let him stay because it's the only place he could, rather than boot him out as soon as possible like most other people. So they're allowing him to slowly degenerate the flat as long as he likes.

His latest update on the flat came to them yesterday, when he went outside to take a photo.



Well, then.

It should be mentioned that this latest spot of trouble is not, of course, his fault - the smouldering wreck pictured above is an ex-steamroller that somehow ploughed into a gas main. The houses surrounding it were evacuated and their occupants sent to a designated crisis gathering point in a school before being given hotel rooms for the night, while the council dug up the surrounding road to cut off the gas.

The flat is actually to the right of you from that angle, and he says that it's fine, but the houses nearer to the flaming mass fared less well - their doors melted.