The campus is closed today for Easter term, though of course our building carries on uninterrupted. To cheer us up, we all found the following email in our inboxes from the Head of Department:

“Dear All,

You will be aware that in the last financial year our funds were exhausted before the end of the 12 month period and we issued instructions to prevent further spending on accounts until the new financial year. To ensure we get through the new accounting period without similar end of year restrictions we need to implement a savings plan now. In the coming weeks I will be issuing advise on strategies to rationalise our use of antibody reagents, etc. In the meantime, I want to start a policy of savings in the common room. With immediate effect tea bags are to be used at least twice. A stand will be placed in the sink area – when you have used a tea bag, please rinse it in clean water and attach to the stand (using one of the clips) to dry. When you next want tea, use the tea bags hanging on the stand first. When the tea bags are exhausted they can of course be discarded.

Compliance is mandatory – not only will this make more funds available for your next experiment, but it will also help with environmental problems in Sri Lanka, Darjeeling and other tea producing areas where soil erosion is a major issue.”

Unfortunately, my own cup of tea ended up all over my keyboard as a result, so now I’m worried about the poor Sri Lankans.