Anyway, it seems that my esteemed colleague Mark Devenport has been landed with the early start on Monday. He'll be well able as he has been off on leave for a week!

Mark, you are very welcome back indeed!

In the meantime tune in to Inside Politics on Sunday with me, Martina Purdy, and a fantastic panel...

Tom Elliott made his decisions public at a news conference today but hinted there were a few changes still to be announced by the end of the week.

Mr Elliott's changes were not much of a surprise. It was widely known he would not move Michael McGimpsey from health (because it's a complex department and there's no time for a new person to settle in before an election - the official line). And it's also not a surprise that Sir Reg Empey, the former leader, lost his post, as this small department was easier to fill and all new leaders want to be able to show they have some power of patronage. Sir Reg was able to go to Washington last week for the US-NI Investment Conference, and was still a minister yesterday for his 63rd birthday (Happy belated Birthday Sir Reg - you know you share a birthday with Hillary Clinton and yours truly.)

His one consolation - besides his impeccable manners, and the fact he seems to be able to keep his head when all around him are losing theirs - is his future elevation. Yes, he could be wearing ermine soon. Word has it Sir Reg is heading for the Lords, while intending to stand again in East Belfast. And he is going to join the Justice and Education committees.

Basil McCrea didn't get a big job - but he got to keep his post on the Policing Board (so far.) Well, he has been good as gold since the leadership contest, and quiet as a mouse. (Basil - Ring me!) And while he has few friends in the assembly team - he did practically call some of them lazy during the leadership campaign - his best friend at Stormont, John McCallister, MLA for South Down, has been promoted to deputy leader. That's Danny Kennedy's old job but he's not crying over it. He's got the Executive job at last. Danny Kennedy joked as he arrived at the Department of Employment and Learning that he was an "overnight success after 25 years." He was clearly delighted and raced right in to shake hands with the security staff, before getting down to business. That is trying to replace the 30,000 jobs about to go in the public sector with private sector ones.

Speaking of jobs, Basil McCrea has also been given a position on the UUP election committee alongside the leader. There had been whispers at Stormont that bruiser Basil would be given the chairmanship of the First and Deputy First Minister's committee - taking on Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness. Basil McCrea might be able to find out what happened to the Single Equality Bill. Instead, Mr Elliott has decided to take that post himself. It is high profile and he did keep his promise not to take a ministerial post ahead of the election.

So that leaves David McNarry not one bit frightened over Hallowe'en. He's still vice-chairman of the Finance Committee, putting the fear of God into the Department of Finance with his talk of black holes. They hate that expression in Finance! He's also the justice spokesman.

Anyway, you can log onto the Ulster Unionist website for the rest of the changes, in case you are going to a pub quiz and you're asked who the Agriculture or Environment spokesman is.

As for me, I'm going home now to rest my voice which got wonderfully deeper when I crossed the Atlantic into Washington last week, but my throat hurts like heck!

In the meantime, we can all try to guess what new title Sir Reg might adopt.

It was Monday August 17th 12 years ago that news of the Omagh bomb was still unfolding. I woke up that Monday to go into the Belfast Telegraph to write what I had witnessed hours after the bomb went off that Saturday. The wreckage, the remains of a twisted pram, a child's teddy lying in rubble, the blood on the floor of the local hospital, the relatives who sat in Omagh Leisure centre, drinking tea, listening to the mounting death toll, waiting for news. I sat with Kevin Skelton in that hall, his forehead marked with blood. His wife Philomena had taken the girls into Kells for new school clothes and he had stepped out for a minute. I think we both knew his wife was dead. It was something he had said, but then seemed to deny. We made small talk through the grim hours. I was doing my job. But I felt like a ghoul.

There was a girl called Jolene. She was missing. She didn't make it. Jolene Marlowe was 17. I think I heard the news of her death as I got ready for work that Monday.

The final death toll for Omagh was 29 people, plus two unborn children. Others survived but were scarred for life.

Another 12 year old was caught up in the Lurgan bomb on Saturday. This morning's NewsLetter carries an interview with Demi Maguire's father Frankie, who said: "Nobody wants to go back to them days, do they?"

Black propaganda says Republican Sinn Fein.

It wasn't exactly a "Who us?" reply from London and Dublin. But both are in agreement there can be no meaningful talks with those who aren't committed to peaceful means to achieve their aims.

The DUP's Gregory Campbell says he wouldn't be surprised but wants evidence.

Whatever the truth, the Deputy First Minister who was engaged in secret talks during his years in the IRA, has given dissidents something to think about. What will the rank and file dissidents make of his claims? And who will they choose to believe?

Attached is correspondence to the Byron party's "Connell" from the Prison Servie on the issue of prisoners at Maghaberry. The party was seeking to meet with the prisoners to arrange a compromise. But the prison service suggested the Byron party await the outcome of on-going discussions.

The party says it has been going for 30 years and its number one priority is a United Ireland to be achieved under the terms of the GFA.

Other views: Segregration remains an obstacle to peace; the UDA is in turmoi and "could spoil the peace process" on top of "being an extra burden to the PSNI."

There are also views on the Bible, and questions: where have all the good men (and women) have gone.

"A new political Party for Ulster, the Byron Party, based in London intends to take part in the political life of the province owing to the impasse in politics here. Founder and chairman, Connell." It comes with a telephone number.

And in the interests of killing off wild speculation, I've been on the phone to some of the names being bandied about.

First of all, the facts. So far only Tom Elliott, the Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA, has declared. Basil McCrea, MLA for Lagan Valley, is expected to enter the race in the next few weeks. It's thought nominations close on September 3rd.

These two are quite a contrast for members. Mr Elliott hails from the Orange, traditional wing of the UUP while is Mr McCrea would be viewed as a liberal moderniser.

Mr Elliott is considered to be the favourite but no one is quite sure how Mr McCrea might do in a one-person one-vote contest. And even his detractors say he shouldn't be under-estimated.

There are thought to be around 2,000 members eligible to vote, but expect a row over voting. There are whispers that questions are being asked about membership forms. How many of these UUP members have actually filled in forms? Or is it that they have simply given a donation and been put down as members? Is a membership card that carries no picture enough to get you a ballot?

It's also been mentioned to me that there is much hand-wringing going on about what might happen if either Mr McCrea or Mr Elliott get the leadership. Will it split the party. Can either of these MLas truly unite the party? Can anybody? The DUP have issued a statement saying that Sir Reg's departure is an opportunity for unionist unity.

Now to the speculation about other candidates. Firstly, Jim Nicholson's name has been mentioned Has he been approached? "First I have heard of it," the UUP MEP told me this morning. He quickly added that he is on record as saying that he does not believe it is possible to lead the party from Europe.

Secondly, Alan McFarland, the North Down MLA who quit the UUP earlier this year over the link-up with the Conservatives. Could Mr McFarland come back and then seize the leadership? I spoke to him too. He has no interest in returning to the UUP never mind seeking to lead it.

Thirdly, Tim Lemon, the member who stood against David Campbell for chairmanship of the party. I haven't spoken him, but it is understood from one-source that he is not intending to stand.

So there you have it.

And if that's not enough for the UUP to worry about, MLAs are facing selection contests in the coming weeks.

There's been another twist in the on-going saga involving Northern Ireland Water, the Department of Regional Development and the assembly's Public Accounts Committee.

The Department has been answering questions today about a leaked e-mail, written by its permanent secretary, Paul Priestly, shortly after he appeared at last month's PAC's hearing into NIW. The Department is responsible for the go-co and the PAC was probing the sacking of four company directors after it emerged contracts were handed out without competition.

Last month's PAC hearing was controversial enough, not least because Peter Dixon, chief executive of Phoenix Gas, was upset about questions some MLAs had asked about his role. Mr Dixon was a member of an Independent Review Team brought into probe the contracts problem. The team's report led to four NIW executive being sacked. Mr Dixon wasn't before the committee, but subsequently complained that the line of questioning at the committee by three MLAs was disgraceful. He felt that some MLAs had sought to insinuate that some members of the review team weren't entirely independent or impartial. The complaint was in a letter leaked to the BBC. Mr Dixon has since withdrawn the complaint.

Now the permanent secretary's e-mail on the issue has been leaked to the Slugger O'Toole website. Paul Priestly who had answered questions at committee, subsequently wrote to the Auditor General, Kieran Donnelly, informing him that another member of the review team, Jackie Henry had been in touch with him. She was "less upset" than Mr Dixon but "bemused and frustrated."

In the email, Mr Priestly suggests that Mrs Henry is seeking to meet the Auditor along with other review team members. He refers to "accusations and insinuations" made at the PAC. And adds that Mrs Henry wanted to hear how the Northern Ireland Audit Office was going to deal with the matter IN ASSISTING THE PAC IN COMING UP WITH THEIR FINAL REPORT. (The caps are Mr Priestly's - a mistake, we're told.)

He adds: "I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR YOU TO MEET THEM IF THE REQUEST IS MADE."

Now, Mr Dallat, a PAC member, responsible for some robust questioning, was not impressed with this e-mail. In his own statement, he's criticised Mr Priestly - accusing him of interfering in what is meant to be an independent process.

The Department says Mr Priestly "did not make recommendations on behalf of the Independent Review Team. and that "the Permanent Secretary was not suggesting any course of action in the investigation."

Mr Dallat says an independent inquiry is now needed to clear up all the controversy surrounding NIW.

The PAC's final report is due out in the autumn.

As for the minister, Conor Murphy, he's not commenting.

At one point, Mr Paisley Jnr said he wasn't taking any lectures - while the inquisitor suggested he was quick to give them.

The DUP MP and Sinn Fein's Barry McElduff didn't agree on everything but it was awfully good natured.

As for Fintan O'Toole, one of Sinn Fein's sharpest Dublin-based critics, even he suggested the party now had the chance to form a left-wing coalition in the Republic. And the commentator hit out at what he said was the hypocrisy coming from down south, where the message had been Sinn Fein must be in government in Northern Ireland but not in Dublin.

At one point, I could see the DUP press officer signalling to Mr Paisley Junior when the Alliance MP Naomi Long was explaining her victory in East Belfast. He seemed to want the DUP to hit back hard, as Ms Long was saying her win at Westminster was down to a positive campaign.

But even that didn't lead to a spat.

As for Mr Paisley Junior, he left having signed one or two autographs.

So, I'm off now to cover the debate. Let's hope it's a lively event. I recall the year that the DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson attended as a guest back in 2004. There was a queue out the door. Will Junior prove as popular a draw?

So far Tom Elliott is the only contender for leader - although most pundits are predicting Basil McCrea will soon enter the battle.

Mr McCrea has been coy but he has mentioned the article on his facebook. Here's what he had to say:

"An interesting piece from Tom Elliot in the Impartial Reporter. Obviously rolling out his leadership campaign on the basis that first out seizes the initiative. Rumour has it that his manifesto will be released shortly. Good to see he is a stickler for party discipline."

A stickler for party discipline - now whatever could Mr McCrea mean?

Surely not a sarcastic remark about the Executive discussion which suggested there should be no campaign until the leader Sir Reg Empey goes?

Hmmm.