Inside the vast space of the Al Masjid ul Husseini mosque, in Northolt, north west London, pathways and rooms are being created at bewildering speed as barriers are shifted and rearranged, passed overhead in a happy chaos.

Men in pristine, white dishdashas and neat embroidered caps race from one place to another, watched by women in long dresses of many colours, decorated with flowers and intricate designs.
"It is the happiest day of the year," one woman tells me, smiling broadly.
The spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra Shia sect is on a rare visit from India.
Infectious, joyous excitement crackles through the air. I had come looking for passion and big ideas - and I have found them.
But I was seeking political, not spiritual enlightenment, and the answer to a question that puzzles me.
I'm here because the shadow justice secretary, Sadiq Kahn, the man co-ordinating Labour's campaign in the English capital, is campaigning here.
His ambitions seem modest. He says: "There are more than 2,000 people visiting the mosque today, and it is good chance to meet ordinary punters and hear from them.
"I don't ram politics down their throat, I just want to be seen as a normal human being.
"There are a lot of people who think, 'It doesn't matter what colour party you are, Tory, Labour, or Lib Dem, you're all the same.'
"The challenge we have is to be relevant and speak their language."
Perhaps this feeling among politicians that they have to struggle to appear even vaguely relevant explains the thing that has been puzzling me.
That is the almost total lack of passion, vision or big ideas.
It does not seem to make even strategic sense. Just about everyone agrees the most likely outcome of this election is a hung Parliament and it is almost impossible to predict who will end up as prime minister.
But the big parties are behaving as if "Steady as she goes," is their campaign motto and "Caution" is their watchword.
Take those messy "debates".
To put it mildly, no-one is arguing Ed Miliband is such a towering presence that he can overwhelm any opponent simply by sitting in the same room.
But the prime minister has behaved as though one quip, one well aimed barb from the Labour leader's lips will leave him flapping and floundering and eject him from Downing Street.
This is not personal cowardice: it is a political strategy.
You would think when they are neck and neck, they would be straining every sinew to get ahead by a head, but there are as yet no flourishes, no thunder, no hint of danger.
It as if the very soul of the body politic has been infected by austerity, where inspiration might seem just too extravagant and the vision thing embarrassingly exuberant, and that our leaders have come to believe voters will view the paralysis of poltroons as endearing humility.
Some argue that it is another sign that our politics is broken, not fit for purpose.
One of David Cameron's former speech writers, Danny Kruger, now with a criminal justice charity, put this eloquently on BBC Radio 4's World This Weekend programme.
"We've got a deep structural problem in our politics, which accounts for a lot of this," he said.
"We've got two parties which are founded in a 19th Century industrial dispute which doesn't really exist anymore.
"They were founded on the idea of capital versus labour, which isn't what most people feel any longer, and yet, because of the longevity of the party system, people are still attached to these labels, and that completely alienates and disenfranchises the great majority of people who are thinking about other things."
He added: "'I don't think there are a great deal of differences between the parties.
"What you have is a lot of insults being thrown around, but this election is not about major differences - the policy differences are pretty minor, about exactly when the deficit might be paid down.
"What we are being offered is a choice between a party that is accused of being heartless and a party that is accused of being incompetent.
"That doesn't feel like a big ideological battle people can engage with."
Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has a rather different take, but he also thinks the rise of UKIP and other parties reflects a reality the big parties are ignoring.
"In a sense now the political gap is bigger than it has been for the last 20 years, but that isn't getting over to people," he says.
"I am doing a lot of canvassing in key marginals, and there is an angry, white working-class vote, where the jobs they used to do have been wiped out, they are insecure, we haven't built homes to rent for 30 years, the quality of their life has dramatically changed, and they blame politicians for that."
Back at the mosque, Mr Khan offers a practical politician's justification for the lack of big ideas - people no longer trust such grand visions.
"It is about humility," he says. "We all seem cocky, we all seem to think we know all the answers, and people have switched off.
"The challenge we've got now is just persuading people to be registered to vote.
"Often people say, 'Why should I be bothered?' That's step one, step two is persuading them to actually vote, step three is persuading them to vote Labour.
"I take it in those steps, because if you go straight to step three, people just aren't listening."
He is perhaps right - the struggle is to simply to persuade people that politics matters.
This found an echo on the Today programme when presenter John Humphrys bemoaned the lack of hope and both former Tory MP Matthew Parris and current Labour MP Tessa Jowell suggested people wanted not some grand idea of hope but specifics - a new bridge, more houses, something tangible and achievable.
Mr Kruger thinks all this mean that change could be in the air.
He says: "We've got these dead shells - parties founded on an old ideological difference which retains this weird power, and they just need to fall away.
"It might be that this election, which is going to produce some weird outcome, will cause these party labels, Conservative, Labour, Liberals to fall away  and we might find some new settlement that will relate more meaningfully to people."
Perhaps we should understand, if not applaud, the modesty of politicians who feel their class is guilty of so many -isms, so much ideology, so many broken promises that they must be penitently narrow in their pitch.
The two main parties seem to be making the drab offer of the last two wallflowers at the dance: "At least I'm better than that."
They cannot be surprised if voters turn their back and go home alone.


Proposals to ban parents in Scotland from smacking their children have been opened up for public consultation.

The move is ahead of a proposed member's bill in the Scottish Parliament which aims to give children equal protection from assault.
It has been put forward by Highlands and Islands Green MSP John Finnie.
It is backed by a number of children's charities, as well as the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents.
The consultation will run until 4 August.
Mr Finnie said: "Scotland cannot be thought of as the best place in the world for children to grow up while our law gives children less protection from assault than anybody else in society.
"There is clear evidence that the use of physical punishment is detrimental to children's long-term health and wellbeing.
"Parents know how important it is to build strong, healthy relationships with their children. We can see from both international evidence and what families here tell us that physical punishment can prevent this.
"It makes a child's behaviour worse and can lead to increased conflict between children and parents."
The MSP added that giving children full protection against assault would send a "clear message" and would underpin Scotland's efforts to reduce violence across the whole of society.
In April, Scotland's outgoing children's commissioner, Tam Baillie, renewed his call for a ban on smacking children.
Mr Baillie said the UK was one of only five European countries which did not fully protect children from physical punishment.
He also claimed that even children in Zimbabwe were better protected than those in Scotland.
Under Scottish law, parents can claim a defence of "justifiable assault" when punishing their child.
But section 51 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 prohibits the use of an "implement" in the punishment.
It also bans parents from shaking their child or striking them on their head.
The United Nations urged the UK in 2015 to introduce laws to ban smacking in the home.
A group of academics have also called for a ban in Scotland after finding "compelling" evidence that the practice creates a cycle of violence that carries on into adulthood.
A Scottish government spokesman said: "The Scottish government does not support physical punishment of children. We have no plans to introduce legislation in the area, but we will consider carefully the member's bill that we understand John Finnie intends to introduce.
"We continue to support positive parenting and we recognise that physical punishment can set children the wrong example and is not an effective way to teach children discipline."


Dairy farmers work hard to help get things like milk, cheese and butter from the farm and into our kitchens.

For the past 31 years, the European Union has had quotas, or limits, on how much milk farmers can produce.
The rules were put in place so farmers wouldn't make too much but would also get a fair price.
But now those quotas have been lifted so with no limits farmers are being allowed to produce as much milk as they want.
Four farmers got in touch with Newsbeat to tell us how they'll be affected by the changes.
"We've all known this has been coming for some time. We've been trying to put our businesses in the best possible position - to produce milk as cheaply as possible.
"This means keeping as many cows and pushing out as much milk as we can for every worker, as well as producing as much milk as possible from grass - the cheapest feed available on our farm.
"It's likely that this will lead to a flood of milk and probably pull down the price even further.
"It's not an easy game and it never will be. I suppose, really and truly, the most efficient farms will survive the test of milk quota removal.
"It'll be a survival of the fittest."
"I'm from a family farm and we've mixed feelings about the end of the quotas as it leaves the dairy industry in an unknown area.
"You don't know how the markets are going to evolve with the access to more products from Europe and also allowing farmers within the UK to expand.
"Usually in the spring time, that's when the cows get [put] to grass, and you get an increase in milk production.
"So if you're lifting the quotas at the same time, you're going to have a lot of milk in the country and not necessarily be getting a very good price for it."
"I think pretty much everyone is aware that milk prices aren't great, which means farmers are losing money.
"It's heartbreaking when you see people leaving the industry. It sounds silly, but cows become a part of your family and to face the prospect of walking into an empty farmyard is something none of us want.
"The removing of quotas is potentially a great opportunity for famers to move into the global market. It's all down to how you see it, do you view it an opportunity? Or do you see it as a time to quit? Some people see it that way, but I hope that doesn't put young farmers off."
"The milk price at the minute is devastating small farmers like myself, simply because you physically can't afford to carry on really.
"It's going to get to the point where there's only going to be these so-called super farms left, with 1,000-2,000 cows or in some cases even more.
"My parents are just barely scraping by to keep the household going.
"Dairy farming's hard - you're doing 12-13 hours days every day. It's not a job, it's a way of life and we love it.
"It's a valuable part of the English countryside and it just seems to be fading away.
"It just seems sad that it might come to the point where we might have to give it up."
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A rather thin legislative agenda awaits MEPs at their monthly plenary sitting in Strasbourg this week.

Among the five legislative votes scheduled, Wednesday's vote on new national emissions caps for five pollutants is most likely to generate attention.
Not for the first time this year, the main political interest may lie in the motion votes - chief among which is a vote on the EU's strained relations with Turkey.
On Thursday, MEPs will vote on a draft resolution calling for the EU to freeze the country's accession talks following a failed coup against the government in July.
It comes as the main centre-left group last week abandoned support for the current talks following crackdowns against journalists and opposition politicians.
Although the vote will not be binding on EU governments, it could serve to further worsen relations between the bloc and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Here's a rundown of the main events this weekâ€¦
European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi will join MEPs at the start of the day's sitting to debate the Bank's annual report for 2015.
Last year saw the ECB launch a massive bond-buying programme, known as quantitative easing (QE), in a bid to boost borrowing in the eurozone.
It also marked the first full year of the ECB exercising its new responsibilities for supervising the health of the eurozone's largest banks.
Critics of the QE programme have said it hits savers and widens inequality by boosting asset prices.
However Bank chiefs have said the programme has played an important role in supporting a still-fragile eurozone recovery.
After this, MEPs will debate proposed changes to the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision's international banking requirements.
There is some concern the changes could put some European banks at a disadvantage to their US competitors.
In the evening, MEPs will debate three non-binding motions that will be put a vote on Tuesday - the most noteworthy is a motion calling for greater military co-operation between EU states.
In the morning, MEPs will debate how EU debt and deficit rules should be applied next year.
The EU Commission said last week that the draft budgets of eight eurozone countries were "at risk" of not complying with agreed EU limits.
However some MEPs have criticised the EU executive for not taking punitive action against states that break the rules.
They will also debate new EU rules obliging tax authorities to automatically share certain bank account information to tackle money laundering.
After the lunchtime voting session, EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini will join MEPs to discuss the situation in Syria.
It comes as the Syrian government last week renewed air strikes and shelling on rebel-held parts of Aleppo, according to activists.
They will then debate relations with Turkey, which have been under strain since a failed coup against the government of President Erdogan in July.
A crackdown against opposition politicians, civil servants and journalists in the wake of the coup attempt has prompted increasing criticism from within the EU.
A topical motion which could call for the country's EU membership bid to be frozen will be voted on during Thursday's session.
After this, MEPs will debate draft motions on the EU's common security and defence policies, and efforts to counter "disinformation and propaganda" from Russia and Islamic State (IS) group.
In the evening they will also discuss plans for an EU "skills guarantee" scheme to boost literacy and numeracy skills among low-skilled adults.
The scheme would target those without a formal secondary education but too old to be eligible for the EU's youth guarantee scheme for under-25s.
The morning sitting will see MEPs debate stricter national emissions caps for five key pollutants, to apply from 2030.
MEPs agreed a compromise position on the new legal limits with member states at the end of June, which will be put to a final vote at lunchtime.
New limits for methane - as originally proposed by the Commission in 2013 - were dropped after opposition from some governments.
The winner of the annual LUX prize for European cinema will be announced at around 11.00 GMT, before lunchtime's voting session.
Among the motions to be put to the vote is one calling for the EU's recently-signed trade deal with Canada to be examined by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
The agreement was signed last month after seven years of negotiations - but still needs to be ratified by the European Parliament before it can fully come into force.
Eighty-nine MEPs have backed a motion asking for the Court to rule on whether the investor protection measures in the deal comply with EU law.
Without substantial support from the centre-right parties, it is unlikely to be passed.
After the voting session, MEPs will debate a proposal to grant â‚¬200m in EU loans to Jordan to help it cope with economic instability and refugee crisis.
A vote on whether to approve the loans will take place on Thursday.
They will also debate changes to EU rules governing cross-border pensions, also to be put to a vote on Thursday.
The evening will see discussions on non-binding motions to change the EU's VAT rules to clamp down on fraud, and calling for EU-wide sanctions on the traffickers of wildlife products.
The day's short sitting starts with a debate with European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly about her department's work during 2015.
At lunchtime MEPs are likely to pass a motion backing her investigations into "revolving doors" cases involving EU ex-commissioners.
Ms O'Reilly recently raised concerns about the appointment of Jose Manuel Barroso as an advisor at US investment bank Goldman Sachs.
Last month an EU ethics panel cleared the ex-Commission President of breaching the EU executive's conduct rules.
The Ombudsman has hinted that she may open an inquiry given the "concern that continues to be expressed" about the appointment.
After this MEPs will debate this month's resolutions on human rights cases - this month relating to China, Brazil and Russia.
The motion on Turkey's EU membership bid will be voted on at lunchtime, along with a motion on the situation in Syria following the debate on Tuesday.
A short afternoon session will consist of a single short debate on access to energy targets in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Please note: This agenda is subject to modification at the opening of the session on Monday afternoon.
A guide to how the European Parliament's plenary sessions can be found here.


Somerset's Johann Myburgh hit the first century of the new Championship season before captain Paul Collingwood led a Durham fightback at Taunton.

South African Myburgh struck a six and 15 fours in his 118 and the home side were going well as they reached 224-2.
But his dismissal triggered a collapse and they were all out for 299, with Collingwood claiming 5-57.
Graham Onions cleaned up the tail for figures of 4-59 and Durham were 98-2 in reply at the close.
The North East county have only won one of their last 14 Championship meetings with Somerset, who included Australian batsman Tom Cooper in their line-up for the first time.
Cooper, who has played international cricket for the Netherlands, looked good in making 47 out of a second-wicket stand of 93 with Myburgh following the early dismissal of Marcus Trescothick.
He fell lbw to Paul Coughlin, but it was former England all-rounder Collingwood who did the real damage either side of tea as he picked up his first four wickets in the space of 20 balls and added Jim Allenby after the re-start.
James Hildreth hit two sixes in his 53, only to fall lbw to Collingwood, who had Myburgh caught at short cover in his previous over.
When Durham replied, Lewis Gregory removed both openers with only 13 on the board, but Scott Borthwick, who hit 52 not out at a run-a-ball, with 12 fours, and Michael Richardson (35) shared an unbroken stand of 85 in 15 overs before the close.
Somerset batsman Johann Myburgh:
"It's a great feeling to get my maiden Championship century.
"I've played well in previous innings for Somerset, but that was probably my best knock over a sustained period.
"We feel the game is evenly balanced. We let things slip a bit before tea, but we will still have a relatively new ball in the morning and a couple of quick wickets would put us back on top."
Durham skipper Paul Collingwood:
"I'm as surprised as anyone to be standing here talking about taking five wickets on the opening day of the season.
"It was only my second five-for in first-class cricket and my first for a decade. There were some good balls and some poor shots.
"We are pleased with our position, having remained positive throughout the day and can hopefully push on tomorrow."


Donald Trump's son-in-law has defended his conduct in last year's presidential campaign, after giving evidence to a Senate panel investigating Russian interference in the election.

Jared Kushner said all of his "actions were proper and occurred in the normal course of events" of the campaign.
Mr Kushner, 36, has also denied any collusion with Russia.
He is a senior adviser to the president and was in charge of the campaign's digital strategy.
He is married to Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka.
Speaking at the White House after a closed-door session of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mr Kushner said he had been "fully transparent in providing all the requested information".
"Let me be very clear - I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so. I had no improper contacts," he said.
Mr Kushner, who keeps a very low media profile, will appear before the equivalent House of Representatives committee on Tuesday.
In a statement to both congressional committees released before the Senate session on Monday, he said there were "hardly any" contacts with Russian representatives, adding later that there were "perhaps four".
He refers to a meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June last year. She had allegedly promised damaging material on Hillary Clinton.
Mr Kushner said he arrived late at the meeting, realised little of note was being discussed and that it was "time not well-spent".
Mr Trump Jr said former campaign chief Paul Manafort was also at the meeting and that no compromising material on Mrs Clinton was provided.
In his statement, Mr Kushner accepted that he failed initially to reveal his contacts with Russians.
He says the first form, a "rough draft that still had many omissions", was filed by an assistant in error on 18 January and that declarations on his foreign contacts, not just with Russians, were added over the next six months "in the normal course".
Mr Trump Jr and Mr Manafort had been scheduled to appear before Congress on Wednesday to testify but that has been delayed indefinitely as lawyers negotiate on the documentation and information to be discussed.
Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter
In his Senate testimony Jared Kushner says he has nothing to hide and is "happy" to share information with those investigating possible Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign.
His written statement, however, is an exercise in caution and lawyerly discretion. He addresses only the controversies already in the public sphere, then offers his explanation for why they are no big deal.
He receives hundreds of emails a day and didn't read his brother-in-law's forwarded message that said the Russian government wanted to help the Trump campaign.
Reports of an effort to set up back-channel communications with Russia after the election were a halted effort to get information about Syria from Russian generals.
He met with an influential Russian banker because the Russian ambassador - whose name he couldn't initially remember - was so persistent.
The incomplete security form was the result of a "miscommunication" with an assistant who submitted it too soon.
Beyond that, there are no new revelations; no new disclosures. If what's already out is all there is, Mr Kushner and his lawyers have done their best to defuse the bombs. When walking in a minefield, it's the ones you don't know about that pose the greatest risk.
President Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia.
He continued his tirade against the investigation process on Sunday, tweeting: "As the phony Russian Witch Hunt continues, two groups are laughing at this excuse for a lost election taking hold, Democrats and Russians!"
Russia has also denied any involvement.


A care home has been fined £100,000 after an 85-year-old resident died after becoming trapped between a wardrobe and a radiator.

Walter Powley suffered serious burns following a fall at the Western Park View home in Hinckley Road, Leicester, in May 2012.
An investigation into his death found the radiator pipes and valves at the home were not covered.
It also found the owner was aware that Mr Powley was at risk of falls.
During a hearing at Leicester Crown Court, Western Park Leicester, based in Queen Street, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to safety breaches.
The firm was also ordered to pay £35,000 in costs.
In a statement, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said Mr Powley had been admitted to the home four days before being injured.
It said he fell in his room and suffered serious burns to his right leg from the radiator pipe and valves, and superficial burns to both legs.
He died in hospital eight days later.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Dr Richenda Dixon said: "This was a foreseeable and preventable fatal incident.
"The scalding or burning risks from the pipes were long-standing and could have caused injury to any resident," he said.
In a statement on behalf of Mr Powley's family, his son Colin said: "We are still devastated, not only by our dad's death, but also how it came about.
"The fact that he died from injuries sustained as a result of, in our view, inadequate care in a place where he was supposedly safer than at home, is heart-breaking."


An eight-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who was filmed completing his first triathlon unaided has been honoured at the Yorkshire Awards.

The video of Bailey Matthews showing him abandoning his walking aid to cross the finish line has been viewed on Facebook more than 27 million times.
Bailey, from Doncaster, was given the Richard Whiteley award at a ceremony in Leeds on Friday night.
Cricketer Joe Root received the Sporting Achievement award.
The Yorkshire Awards, now in their 27th year, "recognise the many and varied achievements of people and businesses in the county".
Bailey competed in the children's event at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire in July, swimming 100m, riding a bike for four km and running for 1.3 km.
Despite stumbling twice on his way to the finish line, he picked himself up and ran the final 20m of the course without his walking frame.
Bailey's family said: "We are extremely honoured to receive the Richard Whiteley award for Bailey's efforts and it makes it all the more special with being proud northerners."
Sheffield-born Root became the leading batsman in the ICC world rankings after helping England beat Australia to regain the Ashes.
The 24-year-old has established himself as one of England's key performers and is closing on 3,000 test runs.
Root said the award was a "real honour" and he wanted to thank everyone who had supported him.
TV chef Rosemary Shrager, who has worked and lived in Yorkshire for many years, was presented with the Woman of the Year award, while Rotherham-born William Hague was named Man of the Year.
Mr Hague, former MP for Richmond, said: "Whatever I have done, and wherever I have been in the world, I have never stopped being a Yorkshireman, and never will."
Sir David Wootton picked up the Lifetime Achievement while Huddersfield-born poet Simon Armitage won the Arts and Entertainment award.
Mr Armitage's numerous accolades include a BAFTA winning film Feltham Sings for which he received an Ivor Novello award.
The Business Enterprise award was given to timber company Howarth Timber.
Starting in Leeds in 1840, it has expanded from a one-man business to an employer of more than 1,000 people.
North Yorkshire famer Gareth Barlow was presented with the Countryside award while junior football coach Stephen Shipley won the Community Hero award.


Iran has launched several ballistic missiles from silos across the country as part of a military exercise, state media say, defying US pressure.

The Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that the tests demonstrated the country's "deterrent power".
US officials said that if the reports were confirmed, they would raise the matter at the UN Security Council.
In January, the US imposed sanctions targeting Iran's missile programme in response to the last round of tests.
UN experts said those tests had violated a Security Council resolution.
Resolution 1929, which barred Iran from undertaking any work on ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, was terminated after a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers was implemented two months ago. A new resolution, 2231, then came into force that "calls upon" Iran not to undertake such activity.
Iran says it does not have nuclear weapons and will continue missile development.
Iranian state television reported on Tuesday that the missiles were fired from silos at various locations, without naming them.
It broadcast pictures of one of the night-time launches, and a presenter said the missile was a medium-range Qiam-1, according to the Reuters news agency.
The Revolutionary Guards' statement said the tests were intended "to show Iran's deterrent power and also the Islamic Republic's ability to confront any threat against the [Islamic] Revolution, the state and the sovereignty of the country".
The head of the Guards' Aerospace Force, Brig Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh told state television that the missiles had "struck a target 700km (435 miles) away".
He warned the US was "trying to turn off the lights of Iran's missile programme", adding: "The Guards don't give into threats."
US state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said it was "aware of and following closely" the reports of the missile tests.
"If confirmed, we intend to raise the matter in the UN Security Council. We will also encourage a serious review of the incident and press for an appropriate response."
"This development underscores why we continue to work closely with partners around the world to slow and degrade Iran's missile programme."
Mr Toner also said the US would "continue to aggressively apply our unilateral tools to counter threats from Iran's missile programme".
While any missile of a certain size could in theory be used to carry a nuclear warhead, Iran says its missiles are for use solely as a conventional deterrent.
It claims to have ballistic missiles with a range of 2,000km (1,250 miles) that would be capable of reaching Israel and US military bases in the Middle East.


A primary school has said it may have to close early on Fridays because of a "funding crisis".

Epiphany School in Bournemouth said it faced a £280,000-a-year shortfall, due to government cuts and rising costs.
The Church of England-run academy said it had already reduced its music and sports provision, as well as the number of classroom-based teaching assistants.
Head teacher Dave Simpson said he acknowledged that early closing could affect children's education.
He said it could also have a "massive" impact on parents, who he said were "supportive".
Other schools including Danemill Primary in Leicestershire and City Academy in Hackney have proposed to reduce school hours from this autumn to save money.
In April, the National Association of Head Teachers conference backed a motion to consider a four-and-a-half day week in schools.
Mr Simpson said he could save about £35,000, by allocating Friday afternoons for teachers' planning, preparation and assessment time.
He said the school's overall funding had fallen by more than £50,000 since it became an academy in 2012.
The cost of national insurance, pensions, inflation, teachers' pay and education, health and care (EHC) plans for pupils with special needs amounted to an extra £230,000, he said.
The school has drafted letters for parents to send to MPs and councillors, stating: "I am worried that standards within the school will inevitably begin to drop and the needs of my child will not be met."
In December, the National Audit Office found schools were facing budget cuts of £3bn by 2020 because funding was not keeping pace with increased pupil numbers and rising costs.
Bournemouth Borough Council's deputy leader Nicola Greene said schools were struggling because of a shortfall in funding for pupils with special needs.
The Department for Education said it would soon make further announcements on the national funding formula for schools.


UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said he will not stand in the forthcoming Newark by-election.

The contest has been brought about by Tuesday's resignation from Parliament of former Tory MP Patrick Mercer over a cash-for-questions scandal.
Mr Farage said he did not want to look like an "opportunist" by entering the contest, as he did not "have any links with the East Midlands".
He added that he wanted to focus on UKIP's European elections campaign.
Although the Conservatives have a majority of 16,000 in Newark, UKIP is currently doing well in opinion polls.
But John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, said UKIP would be "trying to succeed on the back of no particular local support at all".
Mr Farage told BBC One's Breakfast: "I haven't had long to think about it but I have thought about it, and we're just over three weeks away from a European election at which I think UKIP could cause an earthquake in British politics, from which we can go on and win not just one parliamentary seat but quite a lot of parliamentary seats.
"For that reason I don't want to do anything that deflects from the European election campaign, so I'm not going to stand in this by-election.
"I want to focus the next three weeks on winning the European elections and also I don't have any links with the East Midlands. I would just look like an opportunist, and I don't think that would work."
Asked whether he had decided not to run for fear of losing, Mr Farage replied: "I have shown some courage over the yearsâ€¦
"It's about choosing the right battles. It's about prioritising and I know that if I were to have said yes to standing in Newark the next three weeks would be dominated by am I going to win, am I not going to win, and we wouldn't be talking about open-door immigration, EU membership and that most of our laws being made somewhere else."
Mr Farage referred to the former leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party, once a fixture at such contests, saying: "I'm not Screaming Lord Sutch. I don't stand in every by-election."
Ken Clarke, seen as the most Europhile of the Conservative members of the cabinet, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Mr Farage had been right to decide not to run, saying: "I am not really surprised. Whatever else Nigel is, he is not an idiot, and I don't think he'd have the faintest chance of winning in Newark."
He accused UKIP, which advocates leaving the European Union, of "peddling a total nonsense that our economic problems have been caused by immigration".
Mr Clarke, who is a Nottinghamshire MP, said: "I don't think the residents of Newark, some of whom I know because I used to represent some of the villages there, they're not going to vote for a card, larking about, trying to get protest votes."
For the Liberal Democrats, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: "Nigel Farage is clearly frightened to put himself forward to try and actually get a seat in the UK Parliament.
"He's very happily heckling from the sidelines doing his thing in the European Parliament ,and I think many people will look at this and say it's not really that impressive."
Mr Mercer, who has represented the Nottinghamshire constituency since 2001, is due to be suspended from the Commons for six months for allegedly asking questions in Parliament in return for money.
He was filmed by undercover reporters from the BBC's Panorama last year apparently agreeing to set up a parliamentary group to push for Fiji to return to the Commonwealth.
The MP had already said he would not contest the general election next year, having served as an independent since May 2013.
In a short statement, the former soldier said he would not contest the findings of a report into his conduct, to be published on Thursday, which will call for him to be barred from Parliament for six months.
He said he was resigning with "a great heaviness of heart" for the sake of his family, adding: "I am an ex-soldier, I believe that when you have got something wrong, you have got to 'fess up and get on with it."
The MP, a prominent critic of David Cameron, who sacked him as a shadow minister in 2007, said he hoped his successor would be a Conservative.
The party has selected Robert Jenrick to contest Newark. Labour - which held the seat between 1997 and 2001 - has chosen Michael Payne as its candidate. The Liberal Democrats have yet to make a selection.
At the 2010 general election, Mr Mercer won 27,590 votes. Labour came second with 11,438 votes, the Lib Dems third with 10,246 and UKIP fourth with 1,954.
Meanwhile, an ITV/ComRes poll suggests that, of people who insist they will definitely vote in the European elections, 38% say they will back UKIP.
The survey puts Labour in second place on 27%, the Conservatives third on 18% and the Lib Dems fourth on 8%.
ComRes interviewed 2,052 British adults between 25 and 27 April.


UK manufacturing output rose by 0.8% in September, according to official figures, the biggest monthly increase since April 2014.

Despite the increase, manufacturing output was still down 0.6% from the same month last year.
The wider measure of industrial production fell 0.2% in September, but was 1.1% higher than a year earlier.
Other figures from the ONS indicated the goods trade deficit narrowed to £9.35bn in September.
The deficit - showing that the UK imported more goods than it exported - was down from a gap of £10.79bn in August.
The deficit in goods and services narrowed to £1.4bn in September from £2.9bn the previous month.
However, for the July-to-September quarter, the trade deficit in goods and services widened to £8.5bn, from a gap of £5.1bn in the previous quarter.
Last month, the ONS said the UK's economy grew by 0.5% in the third quarter, in its first growth estimate for the quarter.
The latest ONS figures show that industrial production rose by 0.2% in the July-to-September period, slightly below initial estimates of 0.3%, while manufacturing output fell by 0.4%.
Lee Hopley, chief economist at the manufacturers' organisation, the EEF, said: "While manufacturing contracted in the last quarter, there are signs that some parts of industry at least were mounting a comeback after a summer lull."
She added, though, that there were risks from the economic slowdown happening elsewhere around the world: "Another disappointing set of trade figures for manufacturing show that these effects are already being felt, with a significant fall in goods exports to China over the past three months."


Damage caused to the world's longest aircraft which crash-landed during a test flight has been repaired.

The Airlander 10 nosedived during its second test flight from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire.
The craft's cockpit was effectively destroyed when the Â£25m craft experienced a "heavy landing", although no-one was injured.
Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) said the new cockpit will be painted over the Christmas period.
The crash happened just before the vehicle came in to land after a 100-minute flight on 24 August.
A spokesman for HAV said: "The early part of 2017 will consist of a series of rigorous tests before Airlander continues its flight test programme."
Christened the Martha Gwyn, the aircraft was first developed for the US government as a surveillance aircraft, but the project was shelved amid defence cutbacks.
HAV launched a campaign to return the Airlander 10 to the skies in May 2015. It claims it could be used for a variety of functions such as surveillance, communications, delivering aid and even passenger travel.
It says the huge aircraft will be able to stay airborne for about five days during manned flights.
The company hopes to be building 10 Airlanders a year by 2021.
Airlander 10 in numbers


Natterjack toad numbers have increased fivefold on an RSPB Scotland reserve during the course of a three-year conservation project.

Work started at Mersehead in Dumfries and Galloway in 2013 after severe winter storms hit the area.
They had destroyed sand dunes which the rare amphibians often hibernate in and there were concerns for their survival.
At the start of the project about 30 breeding males were counted on the site but numbers have now reached 150.
The Solway Firth is the only place natterjacks can be found in Scotland.
Works to help boost their numbers at Mersehead included the creation of shallow ponds for the toads to breed in.
RSPB Scotland set up a "mugshot database" of natterjack toad photographs during its surveys, to ensure that the same individuals were not being counted night after night.
Each toad carries a unique wart pattern and yellow "racing stripe" on its back which together act much like a human fingerprint.
James Silvey, RSPB Scotland's species and habitats officer, said: "It's fantastic to see that the natterjack population is responding to the habitat management we've put in place.
"The evidence of toads breeding in three of the five ponds we made for them in 2015 is a real highlight.
"Natterjack populations are declining across most of their range in Scotland due to climate change and inappropriate management, making the population at Mersehead all the more important."
He said they hoped to see numbers increase further and more work is planned to expand the habitat available to the toads.


Portsmouth have signed full-back Drew Talbot on a two-year deal following his release by Chesterfield.

The 29-year-old made 260 appearances for the Spireites after joining in July 2009, and played in 38 games last term.
Talbot started his career at Sheffield Wednesday, and has also had spells with Scunthope, Luton and Plymouth.
"I've worked with Drew before and he's a fantastic signing," Portsmouth assistant manager Leam Richardson told the Portsmouth website.
"He's everything that our fans like about a player - he's robust, works hard and is very fit."
Pompey finished sixth in the League Two table last season, but suffered a 3-2 aggregate defeat by Plymouth Argyle in the play-off semi-finals
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Turkey has accused Russia of again violating its airspace and warned it would "face consequences" if such infringements continue.

The foreign ministry said a Russian jet flew into its airspace on the border with Syria on Friday. Moscow described the claim as "baseless propaganda".
Tensions between the two countries have been high since November, when Turkey shot down a Russian jet.
Russia has been carrying out air strikes in Syria since September.
It has been targeting forces fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, its ally.
In a statement, the Turkish foreign ministry said a Russian SU-34 jet crossed into Turkish airspace at 11:46 local time on Friday, ignoring several warnings made in Russian and English.
It said the ministry had summoned the Russian ambassador in Ankara to "strongly protest at and condemn" the incident.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Saturday that Russia would "have to face consequences if it keeps up such violations".
"Such irresponsible steps do not benefit either the Russian Federation, or Russia-Nato relations, or regional and global peace," he told reporters.
He said he had asked repeatedly for a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, without success.
Nato - of which Turkey is a member - on Saturday urged Russia "to act responsibility and to fully respect Nato airspace" and "take all necessary measures to ensure that such violations do not happen again".
Relations between Russia and Turkey, a vocal opponent of Mr Assad, plummeted after Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian SU-24 on 24 November.
Turkey said the plane intruded into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings to leave.
Russia insisted the jet had never crossed over from Syrian territory and did not receive any warnings.
The two leaders embarked on a war of words and Russia introduced a raft of sanctions designed to damage Turkey's economy.
Moscow's ban on the import of Turkish foods, the sale of charter holidays for Russians to Turkey and most construction projects with Turkish firms was expected to cost the Turkish economy at least $10bn.


A toy boat set sail by American school pupils has been found thousands of miles away by a family in Ceredigion.

Helen Hinks, of Talybont, and her son William, aged three, discovered the boat while walking along Borth beach.
It had been launched by youngsters at St Andrew's School of Math and Science in Charleston, South Carolina, in May 2015 as part of a school project.
Ms Hinks said it was "magical" to find the boat nine months later, while the school said it was "over the moon".
The boat, named the Carolina Dreamer, had been fitted with a GPS tracker and had sailed for less than a week before washing up on Bermuda.
There, it was relaunched and although initially heading towards Ireland, it made a detour towards the west Wales coast - a journey of about 4,000 miles.
Pupils at St Andrew's had contacted Welsh harbour masters and marinas in the hope it had been sighted and rescued.
Explaining the moment they found the boat, Ms Hinks said: "I was waiting to pick my two daughters up from school and normally take my little boy to the beach if the weather's nice.
"We were looking across the waves when it literally sailed right to us. It was magical."
Ms Hinks said she did not realise the significance of the boat until seeing media reports a week later.
"When we contacted the school they were really excited. My children's school is hoping to relaunch it back to America," she said.
On hearing the news, St Andrew's pupil Paris said: "When I heard somebody had found our boat...I jumped up and down" while Dhyeya said: "Thank you for saving our boat, we appreciate it".
Fourth grade teacher Amy McMahon said: "We cannot tell you how excited and elated we are to hear that our beloved boat has been recovered and has found its way to a nearby school.
"We are over the moon."


Fidel Castro's ashes have been laid to rest in the Cuban city of Santiago, nine days after his death at 90.

Crowds lined the streets to see the cortege heading to the Santa Ifigenia cemetery for a private ceremony.
"There were no speeches. It was very simple," France's representative, Environment Minister Segolene Royal, said afterwards.
On Saturday Fidel's brother, Cuban President Raul Castro, promised "to defend the fatherland and socialism".
In a family ceremony, Fidel Castro's ashes were interred next to those of the 19th Century Cuban independence hero, Jose Marti.
Santiago is known as the birthplace of the Cuban Revolution.
The funeral brings an end to nine days of national mourning across Cuba.
His remains arrived in Saturday in Santiago after a four-day journey from the capital, Havana.
"All of us who love Fidel, who is a father to us. He cleared a path for us and the people will follow him," Tania Maria Jimenez told Reuters news agency.
Fidel Castro was part of the small group of revolutionaries who launched an attack on the Moncada barracks in Santiago on 26 July 1953.
The attacked failed, but it was considered the first act of the revolution that would depose the US-backed government of Fulgencio Batista on 1 January 1959.
Opinion on Fidel Castro, who ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost half a century, remains divided.
Supporters say he returned Cuba to the people and praise him for some of his social programmes, such as public health and education.
But critics call him a dictator, who led a government that repressed opposition and dissent.
Raul Castro took over when his brother's health deteriorated in 2006.
He has announced that Cuba will ban naming any monuments or roads after Fidel Castro, at the request of the late leader who "strongly opposed any manifestation of cult of personality".


Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has furthered his ambition to launch people into space by practising a critical safety manoeuvre on his New Shepard vehicle.

The rocket and capsule system launched normally from its Van Horn, Texas, desert pad on Wednesday but then made an early separation during the ascent.
A motor in the capsule pushed it clear to parachute back to the ground.
The “abort” simulated what would happen if the booster were ever to develop a problem as it climbed into the sky.
Before Mr Bezos’ Blue Origin company starts putting people on the New Shepard system, there has to be confidence that lives can be saved in the event of an emergency.
New Shepard is a sub-orbital vehicle - that is, it delivers sufficient thrust to put its capsule only briefly into space.
What is remarkable about New Shepard is that it is totally re-usable - both the booster and the capsule.
Ordinarily, boosters are expendable. It is only recently that rocket vehicles have started to fly  themselves back to Earth after a flight for a new mission.
The booster used in Wednesday’s outing was making its fifth flight. Before the test, Blue Origin said it was unlikely to survive the demonstration due to the instability that is introduced by a mid-flight escape of the capsule.
But the booster had no difficulty handling the disruption of the abort manoeuvre and brought itself down under control. It will now be put on show in a museum.
Mr Bezos plans to take fare-paying passengers who want to ride New Shepard on short hops above the atmosphere.
Scientists will also be given the opportunity to fly experiments in the capsule. These are studies that need to be run in a weightless environment, which the capsule will experience at the top of its arc.
The online retail entrepreneur also plans to build a much bigger rocket system that he will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The booster for this, called New Glenn after the famous American astronaut John Glenn, should make its maiden flight before the end of the decade, Mr Bezos says.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos


Barnsley have extended Southampton midfielder Lloyd Isgrove's loan spell until the end of the season.

The 23-year-old former Wales Under-21 international has made 13 appearances for the Tykes in all competitions since joining from the Saints in October.
"I'm enjoying my time here working with the gaffer and players," he told the club website.
Meanwhile, Burnley defender Kevin Long, 25, has extended his loan spell with the League One side until 30 January.
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Police investigating the murder of Sian O'Callaghan have identified human remains found at a second site as a Swindon woman missing for eight years.

The woman, Becky Godden-Edwards, would have been 29 years old on Monday.
Detectives working on the case had scoured national databases in a bid to work out who was buried at Eastleach in Gloucestershire.
Taxi driver Christopher Halliwell, 47, from Swindon, has been charged with 22-year-old Miss O'Callaghan's murder.
Det Supt Steve Fulcher, of Wiltshire Police, said officers had developed a DNA profile from the bones that were recovered in the Cotswolds.
"As you will appreciate, Becky's family and loved ones are trying to come to terms with this devastating news and we are affording them all the comfort and sympathy we can at this time, helping them come to terms with their grief," he said.
Miss Godden-Edwards, who was from the Shaw area of Swindon, was reported to the national Missing People Helpline in 2007 by her family when they became concerned by the lack of contact from her, Mr Fulcher said.
He told a press conference: "Inquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding Becky's disappearance and subsequent death.
"Part of these inquiries will be to speak to Chris Halliwell and we will then make a decision on any appropriate steps to take."
The detective appealed to anyone who knew Miss Godden-Edwards from 2002 onwards to contact the police or Crimestoppers.
"What I'm interested in are Becky's movements, her friends, her lifestyle, any small information which will help me piece back together how she came to meet her death," he said.
"I will respect confidences where people ask for it."
BBC correspondent Jon Kay said it was understood that Miss Godden-Edwards had become "disconnected" from her family.
Her family are believed to have lost contact with her in 2003. They initially did not report her missing to the police and they thought she was living in the Bristol area.
In a statement, the Edwards family said: "The family is completely devastated by the news of Becky's death and at this time wish to be left alone to grieve for our beautiful daughter."


Households in Poole will soon only have their bins collected once every two weeks if councillors back planned cuts.

The borough council currently empties black bins every week, as is the case in neighbouring Bournemouth.
A report to councillors said halving the frequency of collections would encourage recycling as well as saving the local authority £633,000 per year.
The move could bring Poole in line with Dorset Waste Partnership, which empties bins for six other councils in Dorset.
Poole Borough Council, which collects recyclable waste in blue bins every two weeks, is trying to cut bid to cut between £18m and £20m a year from its overall budget.
Poole previously considered fortnightly collections in 2013 but that would have resulted in the local authority missing out on a £1m government grant.
Councillor John Rampton said: "Continued reductions in government funding and increasing demand for services means it is much harder to balance the council's budget and deliver core services.
"The proposals safeguard the service by making it sustainable in the long term, and help prevent even harder decisions for the council further down the line."
The report, due to be considered by the council's Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday, said it currently costs £80 a tonne more to dispose of black bin waste than recyclables.
It estimates and more than 12% of waste placed in black bins could be recycled.
If approved, the changes would begin in autumn 2016.


There is little reason to prescribe vitamin D supplements to healthy adults to reduce the risk of diseases or fractures, say researchers writing in the Lancet.

They found no significant reduction in risk in any area after analysing more than 100 trials.
They added that future studies were unlikely to change the figures.
At-risk groups, including babies, pregnant women and elderly people, are still advised to take supplements.
The research team, from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, had previously carried out a meta-analysis which showed no major effect of vitamin D supplementation on bone mineral density.
In this study, they looked at existing randomised controlled trials of vitamin D supplements, with or without calcium.
They found that vitamin D supplementation does not change the relative risk of heart disease, stroke or cerebrovascular disease, cancer and fractures by a noticeable amount, equivalent to 15%.
Vitamin D supplements did not reduce hip fracture risk by more than 15% in hospital patients and, when given with calcium, did not lessen the risk in healthy individuals either.
The study said there was also "uncertainty as to whether vitamin D with or without calcium reduces the risk of death".
The New Zealand researchers concluded: "In view of our findings, there is little justification for prescribing vitamin D supplements to prevent myocardial infarction or ischaemic heart disease, stroke or cerebrovascular disease, cancer, or fractures, or to reduce the risk of death in unselected community-dwelling individuals."
Writing in a linked article in the Lancet, Karl Michaelsson, from the department of surgical sciences at Uppsala University in Sweden, said there was continuing debate about whether there were health benefits to taking vitamin D supplements for a mild form of vitamin D deficiency.
"The impression that vitamin D is a sunshine vitamin and that increasing doses lead to improved health is far from clear."
Mr Michaelsson said that until more information was available, it would be wise to choose a cautious approach to vitamin D supplementation for otherwise healthy individuals.
While some nutrition experts say vitamin D deficiency is responsible for a number of diseases, such as fractures, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and a higher risk of death, others say vitamin D deficiency is more likely to be the result of ill health and not the cause.
Dr Colin Michie, consultant senior lecturer in paediatrics and chairman of the nutrition committee at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, says the study puts Vitamin D supplements into context.
"This shows vitamin D has a relevant role to play, but it's not that important.
"GPs shouldn't be rushing around getting blood tests done for the average healthy person.
"Instead, the old-fashioned advice still holds true. Eat more fish, watch your diet and how you lead your life - unless you're specifically at risk."
People at high risk of vitamin D deficiency include children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the over-65s and people at risk of not getting enough exposure to sunlight.
Those with darker skin, such as people of African, Caribbean and South Asian origin, and people who wear full-body coverings, as well as pale-skinned people have also been shown to be at higher risk.


Exeter head coach Rob Baxter says it is "scary" that his side needed a record-breaking eight bonus-point wins in a row to seal a home play-off semi-final.

They finished the regular Premiership season on a 15-game unbeaten run, but only secured second on the final day.
Until Exeter's streak, no side had ever achieved more than six successive maximum-point wins in the top flight.
"It shows you the quality of the Premiership and how well we've had to do," Baxter told BBC Radio Devon.
"It's still a bit scary when you look back and think. If any one of those eight successive bonus-point wins had been losses, we might well be sitting here in third and going away in the semi-final."
The Devon side host reigning champions Saracens in the last four on 20 May, as they look to reach the Premiership final for the second year in a row.
While Exeter have no game before then, Sarries play French club Clermont Auvergne in the Champions Cup final at Murrayfield on 13 May.
"Whether we play Saracens next or we play them later, we've got to do it at some stage, so I'm quite looking forward to bringing them to Sandy Park," added Baxter.
"We've actually had to put that run of games together to be where we are now, and that gives the players great credit for how they've held that together over such an extended period."


Uber reportedly used a tactic called fingerprinting to track iPhones in order to fight fraud - despite Apple banning the practice.

The New York Times reports that in 2015 Apple discovered that the ride-sharing company had broken its privacy rules by collecting iPhone serial numbers.
Boss Tim Cook told Uber founder Travis Kalanick to remove the "fingerprinting" code or he would  ban the app from the Apple Store, the paper claims.
Apple declined to comment.
Uber said the practice of fingerprinting deterred criminals from installing its app on stolen phones, using stolen credit cards to book journeys, then wiping the phone and doing it again.
"Being able to recognise known bad actors when they try to get back on to our network is an important security measure for both Uber and our users," it said.
Security researcher Will Strafach told news site Tech Crunch that the coding in the iPhone version of the app from 2014 revealed that it was noting the device's serial number.
The New York Times also claimed Uber ringfenced Apple's Cupertino headquarters so that employees using the app there would not notice.
Cyber-security expert Prof Alan Woodward, from University of Surrey, said the act of fingerprinting is fairly common and generally not blocked by other operators - for example, if you sign into a service from a different device and get an email warning you about it, it's because there is a device ID linked to your account.
"Digital fingerprinting can be effective in tracking who goes where on the web, and it can be used to prevent fraud, but also it has the potential to invade your privacy," he said.
"Whether it should be allowed ultimately will be a matter for the legislators and not all jurisdictions will necessarily agree."
The practice is still banned by Apple.


Comedian Freddie Starr is claiming damages from a woman who says he groped her when she was 15.

The 72-year-old attended London's High Court on Monday at the start of a two-week slander and libel trial where he faced his accuser, Karin Ward, 56.
Mr Starr, of Studley, Warwickshire, is suing her after she said he assaulted her at a Jimmy Savile show in 1974.
Ms Ward denies the damages claims against her and relies on the defences of justification and public interest.
Mr Starr is suing over interviews given to the BBC and ITV in October 2012, statements on a website and those made in an eBook about Ms Ward's life.
He claims he has lost Â£300,000 because of shows cancelled as a result of the allegations.
He said the police undertook a full investigation into the allegation made by Ms Ward and a further 13 additional complainants who also put forward allegations.
The Crown Prosecution Service decided that no charges would be brought.
Mr Starr told the judge Mr Justice Nicol, who is hearing the case without a jury, that he did not initially recall appearing on Clunk Click in March 1974.
However, footage emerged which showed him in the studio, with Ms Ward in the audience behind him.
During the hearing he rejected the allegation that he had groped the teenager in Savile's dressing-room.
He said: "It just never happened. It was not in my moral compass. My moral compass will not allow me to do that."
He also said had never groped anyone and denied having "wandering hands".
The father-of-five also denied Ms Ward's claim that he smelt of alcohol which frightened her, saying he had never drank.
As well as the financial loss, he had suffered loss to his reputation and damage to his health and family life, the court heard.
"I had been recovering very well from heart surgery up until the allegations were made," Mr Starr said.
"The stress and embarrassment of the false accusations have contributed significantly to a decline in my health. I have had suicidal thoughts."
Ms Ward's advocate, David Price QC, dismissed the evidence of another 15-year-old girl as "garbage".
He also dismissed as "fiction and lies" a claim by a third 15-year-old girl who attended the show that he had engaged her in a "passionate French kiss".
Mr Starr said that Ms Ward and the other two women who made allegations about him, who all attended Duncroft Approved School at the time, had stayed in touch over 40 years.
He added: "They all went to the same school, wore the same school tie and they are all telling lies, and that's the truth of the matter. This whole thing is ridiculous."
Mr Starr has finished giving his evidence and the hearing was adjourned until Tuesday.


Fire crews have rescued 19 people - six of them children - who were suspended in a fairground ride 20 metres (65ft) above London's South Bank.

Some spent more than three hours trapped in the ride's cages on Sunday.
Clive Robinson, from London Fire Brigade, said: "It was slow work as we needed to access each cage on the ride individually."
London Wonderground, where the ride is based, said it was being investigated for a "technical fault".
Twitter user Dannorthover, who had to be rescued from the ride, tweeted: "Finally back to earth. Thank you london fire brigade for the #cherrypicker".
Two fire engines and two "cherry picker" ladders were sent to the scene, where engineers worked on the ride, which has capsules that swing around a central pillar.
Mr Robinson said: "While everyone was very relieved to be back on the ground, everyone had been very calm."
The brigade, which had been called shortly before 18:00 GMT, said there were no injuries.
The Starflyer fairground ride, part of the Southbank's Centre's London Wonderground playground, stands 60 metres high.
London Wonderground tweeted on Sunday: "This evening the Starflyer which shares our site experienced a technical fault.
"Everyone on the ride has been evacuated safely and the company who manage the ride for Southbank Centre are investigating the fault."
The Southbank Centre said it was grateful to firefighters for assisting those trapped, adding: "We will work with the owners of the ride to investigate the cause of the fault".
The ride will remain closed while investigations continue into why the ride got stuck, the centre said.
The Starflyer ride has featured at London Wonderground in previous years and has also appeared at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.


Police are trying to identify a man who says he does not know who he is.

The man was found on 24 July at Hammersmith Broadway bus station in west London, and is currently in hospital.
Police and medical staff are increasingly concerned for his welfare and are keen to reunite him with those who know him.
He is described as Asian, 5ft 7ins (1.7m) tall, slim, with a short grey beard and short grey and black hair.
When found, he was wearing a black T-shirt with a grey striped T-shirt underneath. He was also wearing black jeans and brown sandals.
The man has no injuries and is not believed to have any medical issues other than his apparent memory loss.


An atomic-scale fingerprint could boost the security of connected devices, according to British scientists who have developed it.

The tiny identity tags are essentially tiny imperfections in the building blocks of matter, making them virtually impossible to clone.
They could be used as the basis of a robust system for authenticating hardware and software,
Details of the work are published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The researchers from the UK universities of Lancaster and Manchester built tiny, layered metallic structures in the lab and incorporated "design flaws" that were unique to the item.
"What you do is shrink these systems down as far as they will go," co-author Jonathan Roberts from Lancaster told BBC News.
"And the interesting thing is that you can't clone them. To clone them, you'd effectively have to measure [the fingerprints] atom-by-atom. You just can't do it."
The fingerprint structures were demonstrated at the nano-scale where the laws of quantum mechanics take over from the ones that predominate at larger scales.
But the researchers say it is a proof of principle which could be integrated into existing chip manufacturing processes.
"These could be used to authenticate any electronic equipment and be 100% secure," said Mr Roberts.
"Having one of these devices in each and every piece of electronic equipment, you could challenge that electronic device and see what it outputs in order to identify it."
"If you imagine self-driving cars communicating with a fake server, that could have dramatic consequences."
The technology is already being commercialised through a spin-out company Quantum Base.
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Brighton & Hove Albion have signed Northern Ireland midfielder Oliver Norwood from fellow Championship side Reading for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year-old, who had been with Reading since leaving Huddersfield in 2014, started all four of Northern Ireland's matches at Euro 2016 in June.
The former Manchester United trainee joins on a three-year deal at Brighton.
"He's a box-to-box midfielder and an excellent passer of the ball," manager Chris Hughton told the club website.
"He has a good grounding, coming from Manchester United, and gives us extra options in midfield and adds further depth to our squad."
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Championship side Brentford have recalled midfielder Jota from a loan spell with Spanish La Liga club Eibar.

The 25-year-old joined Eibar in January on an 18-month deal, but the Bees have ended it six months early.
He has made 51 appearances for the west London club since arriving from Celta Vigo in August 2014 and is contracted to them until the end of the 2017-18 season.
Jota will return in time for their FA Cup tie against Eastleigh on 7 January.


Bunches of flowers and handwritten notes to "our queen of hearts" have been laid by well-wishers at the gates of Diana's former home, Kensington Palace, for the 20th anniversary of her death.

A large banner strewn across the palace's Golden Gates reads: "20 years today, we remember the people's princess" and despite the rain, there is a steady trickle of people arriving to leave tributes.
It is a more muted affair than in 1997, when a sea of flowers formed outside the gates after Diana's death.
It was a moment when much of the country seemed united in grief - a time that her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, have said they struggled to understand.
But the end of August marks two decades since the princess died in a car crash in Paris, prompting some people to pay their respects once more.
In pictures: Diana, Princess of Wales
"I followed her life and felt like I could really relate to her," says Tasha Jane, who has come to London from Australia to lay a single white rose, 20 years after she first laid blooms outside the princess's London residence.
"It seemed like a fitting tribute, like the song," says Tasha, referring to the opening lines of Elton John's Candle in the Wind, which was rewritten in 1997 with the lines: "Goodbye England's rose, may you ever grow in our hearts".
Tasha, a teacher from Melbourne, and her partner Jason Crane, are also travelling to Paris to lay flowers in Diana's memory. In France's capital, the Flame of Liberty statue has become an unofficial memorial to the princess.
"She was such a fun, beautiful person, and a humanitarian," Tasha says. "I teach teenagers and the anniversary has got a new generation interested in her life."
Tasha lived in London in the 1990s, and remembers Kensington Palace in the days after Diana's death as like a "fairyland".
"When I was here before, the tributes just grew and grew, [there were] cards and roses as far as you could see," she says.
Jason, whose father is from the UK, says he remembers Diana as "very glamorous - but with a mischievous side", and says he feels it is important to remember the princess for her charity work.
Huddled under an umbrella with a bunch of sunflowers is Kareen, a teaching assistant from Tonbridge in Kent, who along with her partner Paul, from east London, recently laid tributes to Diana in Paris.
The couple say they feel a personal connection to the princess, because they met on the day she married Prince Charles, on 29 July 1981.
"Our anniversary is the same day as Diana's wedding - we met at a garden party in 1981," says Kareen.
"It's been an emotional couple of weeks, with all these programmes about Diana."
Today, large-scale public displays of mourning may not seem unusual, as terror attacks in London and Manchester draw people out onto the streets, but the public reaction to Diana's death was largely unprecedented.
Paul recalls his "disbelief" at seeing crowds of people laying flowers outside the palace in 1997. "People were devastated," he says.
"I should have brought roses - white roses," Paul adds, as he lays the sunflowers. "Diana was a person who was filled with sunshine so maybe it is fitting."
Angela Silva, 66, has briefly left her London restaurant to leave a bunch of coloured roses, "not as big as the bouquet I left before, 20 years ago," she says.
"I really did expect more people to be here, maybe more will come in the afternoon," she adds.
Twenty years ago, Angela was among more than one million people who lined the route of Diana's funeral cortege from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey.
"I stayed all night to be at the front, there were thousands of people," she says.
She says her grandchildren - aged nine, 10 and 14 - all wanted to come with her but she told them to stay home because of the bad weather.
"They love Diana," she says. "I think she still has meaning for young people, a lot of their parents will have told them about her and what she did."
The palace and surrounding Hyde Park is a popular tourist destination, and several passers-by pause by the gates to read the tributes.
One man hurriedly leaves a bunch of roses, saying only: "She was a lovely lady."
Above the flowers, a rain-spattered banner shows pictures of Diana with her sons and the words: "Grandma Diana... Love always".
A smudged note, signed by the Gould family, from Egham in Surrey, reads: "Still not forgotten after 20 years", while another letter says that her "two boys are like you in so many ways".
Behind the closed gates are newly-planted gardens, which have been filled with Diana's favourite flowers: white roses, scented narcissi and a carpet of forget-me-nots.
Her sons William and Harry, and the Duchess of Cambridge, have visited the White Garden, which has been transformed for the anniversary, in their own private tribute to the mother that so many strangers remain anxious to remember.


Bolivia's military chiefs have ordered the dismissal of 702 servicemen who have been protesting to demand better working conditions.

The army, navy and air force accused the men of committing acts of sedition and rebellion, and attacking the honour of the armed forces.
The soldiers say the armed forces discriminate against indigenous Bolivians, a claim the military denies.
Protesters are calling for a meeting with President Evo Morales.
The protest began on Tuesday with 500 soldiers, but grew to about 1,000 on Thursday.
Non-commissioned officers and sergeants dressed in camouflage uniforms - some with their wives - marched through Bolivia's main city, La Paz, along with Aymara indigenous leaders who support their demands.
"Today we are victims of persecution, intimidation, and threats that target our families," a protest leader, Johnny Gil, told Reuters news agency.
The protesters are demanding reforms so that non-commissioned officers can be promoted beyond the rank of sergeant and get access to equal training opportunities to become career officers.
They also want the end of what they see as discrimination in the areas of salaries, housing and health care.
President Morales, himself an Aymara, called for "discipline" within the forces.
"We are talking about armed forces that are ready to defend our homeland. If there is no discipline, there are no armed forces in Bolivia," he told a news conference in La Paz.
But another protest leader, Marcela Shiriqui, accused him of "only listening to military leaders".
"All we have done is to ask for equal treatment within the forces and an end to discrimination. We will continue with our protest," she told Bolivia's Erbol radio station.
The military rejected what it called an "excuse".
"Discrimination is not an excuse for sedition and to orchestrate a coup d'etat," Chief of Armed Forces Victor Baldivieso told Bolivia's state-owned Abi news agency.
On Wednesday, Defence Minister Ruben Saavedra said the country's armed forces were changing and that in 2015 enlisted soldiers and sergeants would be able to receive scholarships to study to become officers.
Bolivia's 38,000 strong armed forces have about 10,000 non-commissioned officers, according to the AFP news agency.


Jermaine Beckford hit a clinical hat-trick as Leicester City humiliated East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest to cruise into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

George Boateng set the hosts on their way, turning Lloyd Dyer's fine low cross into his own net early on.
And, after Robbie Findley missed a staggeringly easy chance for the visitors, volleying over from almost under the bar, the Foxes romped home in style.
Beckford headed his first from close range after a swift break following a Forest corner, made it 3-0 after the interval with a clever chipped finish and added a third when he shot home at the second attempt.
But, in truth, the margin of victory in this all-Championship tie could have been far greater.
A run of one win in 10 matches and just three goals, all of which came in that sole win against Ipswich, hardly provided an inspiring pre-match rallying call to the visiting side or their fans.
In keeping with that form, the Reds started the third-round replay with the sort of sloppiness you would expect from a team languishing in the relegation zone.
Jermaine Beckford wasn't very well. He was suffering with a cold
Time and time again Forest gifted possession to their hosts, who were more composed, more threatening, generally sharper and could have been 3-0 up inside ten minutes.
Boateng's own goal put the hosts ahead inside seven minutes, when he could only turn a teasing low cross by Lloyd Dyer into his own net.
Neil Danns also had a blistering goalbound 18-yard half-volley headed over the bar by stand-in centre half Guy Moussi and Forest goalkeeper Camp did well to stop a David Nugent effort on the line after an almighty scramble.
Forest's rearguard and ageing holding midfield duo of Boateng and Jonathan Greening simply could not handle Leicester's pacy front quartet of Nugent, Beckford, Dyer and Paul Gallagher.
Findley did miss the chance of the game, or indeed any game.
Perhaps he was distracted by the presence of looming team-mate Harewood but, after Paul Anderson and Greg Cunningham had combined well on the left, Findley snatched at his shot as the bouncing ball fell for him and somehow thundered over from two yards.
But, for all the expressions of disbelief at that miss, the United States international was still by far Forest's biggest threat.
The only previous season in which Leicester and Nottingham Forest were paired in the FA Cup was 1900-01. Leicester, known as Leicester Fosse back then, were beaten 5-1 by Forest in a first round tie in February 1901.
He looked dangerous on the right flank, saw a good header well tipped over by Kasper Schmeichel and was at the heart of all their best - albeit rare - forays forward.
Forest were always second best, however, and Beckford underlined the gulf in class. The former Everton striker made it 2-0, heading in via the underside of the bar after a lightning Leicester counter-attack involving Nugent and the overlapping Lee Peltier.
Forest then had their best spell of the game, matching Leicester for the final 15 minutes of the half and suggesting that they could force their way back into the tie.
They began the second half promisingly, with Marlon Harewood blazing over after a sharp turn on the edge of the box.
But the game was as good as over within five minutes of the restart when the lively Nugent flicked on a long punt by Schmeichel and Beckford cleverly dinked the ball over the advancing Camp.
Beckford completed his treble when he followed up his own strike to bounce the ball over Camp at the second time of asking.
The chances kept coming too, and Danns and Peltier both shot wide late on, while Beckford nearly added a fourth and Paul Gallagher also fired over.
Forest's noisy support were at least spared further pain on a bitterly cold and miserable evening.
Their anger spilled over as they voiced their anger at their team towards the end and called for Billy Davies to be reinstated as manager, but they still sang constantly despite the dismal display.
Leicester will now host League Two side Swindon Town in the fourth round.
Foxes manager Nigel Pearson told BBC Radio Leicester:
"Jermaine Beckford wasn't very well. He was suffering with a cold. But it was good for him to get the goals. They will do his confidence a lot of good.
"It was great to get a response like we did tonight. After Saturday, people were going to ask a few questions but I think we answered our doubters.
"There are some tough fixtures coming up and it's easy for me to say that this is going to be the result to kickstart us. The tempo was good, the team ethic was good, the ability to nullify the opposition and the desire to work hard was there."
Forest manager Steve Cotterill told BBC Radio Nottingham:
"It was a tough evening for sure. Tough for everybody to take connected with the football club but, when you're the manager, I think what you probably do is take it a little bit more to heart than everybody else.
"That was a tough one tonight for sure.
"I was very disappointed with our first-half performance. We know we've had to make changes. We know who's missing in the back four but it was very disappointing, especially when we went a goal down."
Live text commentary


Tens of thousands of knives from a national amnesty are being turned into a memorial to victims of knife crime.

More than 20,000 blades have already been used in the angel sculpture being created by the The British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry, Shropshire.
West Mercia, West Yorkshire and the Metropolitan Police are involved in the project which needs 100,000 weapons for its completion.
Other forces are being urged to pass on their surrendered weapons.
Each one will feature the name of a victim and will form a feather in the angel's wings.
David Shaw, chief constable of West Mercia Police, who visited the sculpture on Friday, said: "Knives often get used in a very spontaneous situation where people don't mean to do damage, they just happen to have a knife with them.
"If we can get those knives taken off [the streets] and prevent some of those tragedies that happen, not just for the families of the victims but the offender and the family of the offender themselves, then we can do some real good with this."
The weapons donated so far include kitchen knives, flick knives, garrotting wires, machetes and even some made in prison cells.


Mercedes' Nico Rosberg pipped Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in final practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton third.

Rosberg was 0.156 seconds quicker than Vettel, with Hamilton 0.045secs adrift.
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The times suggest a major step forward for Ferrari after Mercedes dominated throughout Friday practice.
Williams's Valtteri Bottas was fourth ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. McLaren's Jenson Button was 10th.
The Englishman's team-mate Fernando Alonso was only 13th, 0.3secs behind Button after making a mistake at the final chicane on his fastest lap.
But McLaren appear to have made further progress as they and new engine supplier Honda attempt to recover after a poor start to their relationship.
Williams's Felipe Massa was seventh, ahead of Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen, Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat and Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz.
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The relative pace of Mercedes and Ferrari suggests a close battle for pole position when qualifying starts at 13:00 BST.
Hamilton, who had a dramatic spin on the exit of the 150mph Turn Three without hitting anything, is going for his fifth pole in a row this season, and leads the championship by 27 points from Rosberg after four wins and a second place in the first five races of the season.
Rosberg knows he has to out-qualify Hamilton to start the process of catching his team-mate.
The Barcelona track is one of the hardest on which to overtake all season, and has the highest percentage of wins from pole position of any track on the calendar.
Vettel - a point adrift of Rosberg in the title race - will be trying to at least split the Mercedes, while Raikkonen will be hoping for better after a mix-up in final practice, which put the car on the wrong settings for his fastest lap, left him 0.8secs off Vettel.


Chris Martin and Steven Naismith made their contributions to the debate over who should play up front for Scotland with timely weekend goals.

Martin's first in 13 Fulham appearances since his move from Derby County came in a 4-2 win over Barnsley.
Naismith made only his second Norwich City appearance since August and scored in a 3-1 win over Rotherham United after coming on as a late substitute.
But injured Steven Fletcher was missing from Sheffield Wednesday's squad.
The goals for Martin and Naismith will be welcome news to Scotland head coach Gordon Strachan as he turns his attention to the World Cup qualifier against England on 11 November at Wembley.
Especially so after the choice of Martin to start against Lithuania has been the subject of much debate among fans and in the media following the 1-1 draw at Hampden.
Johnny Russell also supplied Derby's only goal in their win over Leeds United, but the former Dundee United man is another struggling for a starting place with his club and had come on from the bench to replace fellow Scotland international Ikechi Anya after 52 minutes.
With Tony Watt being taken off after 57 minutes of Hearts' 2-0 win over Dundee and Leigh Griffiths coming on for the last half hour of Celtic's 4-0 defeat of Motherwell, it meant that Ross McCormack was the only striker recently used by Strachan to play a full 90 minutes.
However, the 30-year-old's unimpressive scoring record since joining Aston Villa continued in the 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
There was a rare sight this season of Jordan Rhodes coming off the Middlesbrough bench, but he had little chance to prevent his side losing 1-0 at home to Watford in the two minutes he was granted.
Grant Hanley, who was caught out for Slovakia's third goal, was again on the Newcastle United bench, but he at least got 30 minutes of match practice as a substitute in a 3-1 win over Brentford.
His partner in Scotland's central defence, Russell Martin, again played a full game for Norwich, while Christophe Berra was his usual ever-present with Ipswich Town and helped them keep a clean sheet away to Blackburn Rovers.
Rovers' Gordon Greer only lasted 45 minutes of that 0-0 draw after a recurrence of the groin injury that ruled him out of Scotland's games against Lithuania and Slovakia.
Alan Hutton, who pulled out of the Scotland squad through injury, made a 25-minute cameo appearance for Villa.
However, Callum Paterson strengthened his case to hold on to his place under Strachan by scoring Hearts' opener against Dundee.
Meanwhile, Phil Bardsley has pushed his way back into Stoke City's starting line-up, although he came off after 65 minutes of the 2-0 win over Sunderland as follow Scot Charlie Adam made a rare appearance from the bench.
Just as Andrew Robertson had appeared to shake off stiff competition to become Strachan's first-choice left-back, the 22-year-old not only pulled out of the Slovakia game with a knock but has been ruled out for two months with a calf injury picked up with Hull City.
Celtic's Kieran Tierney and Rangers' Lee Wallace played their part in their clubs' clean sheets, but Stephen Kingsley's hopes of entering the mix will not have been helped by the 22-year-old being an unused substitute with Swansea City.
David Marshall has become Strachan's number one goalkeeper, but the 31-year-old has suffered a horrendous start to his Hull career.
The new signing from Cardiff City has conceded 15 goals in four appearances, the latest coming in a 6-1 hammering away to Bournemouth.
Having won his own battle for the Celtic number one jersey, Craig Gordon kept a second consecutive clean sheet to strengthen his own case for another cap.
After playing their part in Scotland's two World Cup qualifiers, Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan and Crystal Palace's James McArthur both came off midway through their club's weekend games while Matt Ritchie was missing for Newcastle through injury.
Shaun Maloney was back in Hull's starting line-up, but he and Scotland team-mate Robert Snodgrass were on the receiving end of that heavy defeat in Bournemouth.
James Morrison was once more an unused substitute for West Bromwich Albion, but Scotland team-mates Darren Fletcher and Matt Phillips both started in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
James Forrest will be pleased to have been handed a Celtic start on his return from Scotland duty, especially with wing rival Oliver Burke having only played 10 minutes of Leipzig's 1-0 Bundesliga win away to Wolfsburg.
George Boyd will count himself unlucky if he has not forced himself into Strachan's thinking after another 90 minutes for Burnley in the top flight, albeit in a 3-1 defeat by Southampton.


Another week, and yet another Asian business leader finds himself in bear-like embrace of the US President-elect Donald Trump.

This time  it is China's Jack Ma - the founder of Alibaba.
On the face of it they're an unlikely pairing.
One's been raised in the lap of luxury, the other had humble beginnings. One has taken advantage of the free market capitalism of the West, the other grew up in the Chinese Communist system.
But there are a few things they have in common.
It is possibly Donald Trump's favourite word: Huge.
And whatever you might think of him, the President-elect certainly has had grand plans.
Taking over his father's real estate business and turning it an empire. Expanding it into an entertainment business. Running for, and winning, the highest office in the land. There's no lack of ambition.
He's now thought to be worth almost $4bn (although consistently claims he's worth more than double that).
When it comes to wealth, China's Jack Ma isn't far behind. He is China's third richest man and Forbes names him amongst the most powerful people on the planet.
But he started his professional life  teaching English to students in a university in a small Chinese town, reportedly making about US$12 a month.
To get better at English, he would court foreign tourists, charming them into having conversations at local hotels.
He started the e-commerce giant Alibaba in his flat, and hasn't looked back.
Mr Ma also has a grand vision which has driven the company from the start:  to create ten million profitable businesses and 100 million jobs in the next 20 years.
Both men are known risk-takers, or as some would say, gamblers.
And perhaps Mr Trump's biggest gamble was running for president.
He was initially seen as the weakest contender during the campaign for the Republican nomination. But a decision to take a risk and be outrageous helped him, in part at least, to get his name on the ballot paper and ultimately to win the presidency.
Jack Ma is similarly unafraid to take risks.
One of his early internet ventures, China Pages, ended badly when he ended up having to form a joint venture with China Telecom and lost control of the company.
He also burned through a lot of cash in his early days, and at one point had to lay off all of his international staff.
But Mr Ma, who was once rejected from a managerial role at a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Hangzhou, says he wouldn't be where he is today without having to learn to deal with failure.
Mr Trump is known as one of America's most colourful and famous billionaires.
He rose to fame as the boss in the hit television show "The Apprentice" and his trademark "You're Fired" became a catchphrase.
But eccentric, and many would say outrageous, comments on the campaign trail have also led to him being called crazy by his critics, for all the wrong reasons.
Remember when he said he would impose a total "shutdown" of Muslims entering the United States? Or how about the the pledge to build a wall on the border with Mexico, and get the US's neighbour to pay for it? The list goes on.
Mr Ma is often called  "Crazy Jack" (though that craziness isn't seen as offensive.).
His trademark speeches captivate and inspire employees. He is a showman who regularly entertains Alibaba staff with performances that would make Justin Timberlake proud.  He's a familiar smiling face on the televised galas launching Alibaba's Singles Day sales, and is also known to preside over mass marriages at the firm.
Almost every time a billionaire  goes through the doors of Trump Towers, the President-elect comes out with a pledge to create jobs in the US. It is starting to be seen as a fast-pass route to getting business done - as I wrote about when Japan's Masayoshi Son met with Mr Trump late last year.
His meeting with Jack Ma was no different.
And while the practice of business leaders visiting publicly-elected officials might have many scratching their heads in Western nations, the relationship between business and politics is much closer in many parts of Asia - including China.
So this is a way of doing business that Mr Ma will know and understand well.
China-US relations may well deteriorate after January 20, when Mr Trump has promised to call China out as a currency manipulator, Mr Ma is making sure that his personal relationship with the new president isn't affected - which can only be good for his business.


Adam Scott dropped four shots over the last two holes as he blew the chance to take a first-round lead at the Players Championship at Sawgrass in Florida.

On a day several big names struggled, world number 11 Scott had a five on the par-three 17th and a six on the par-four 18th to shoot a two-under 70.
William McGirt and Mackenzie Hughes lead overnight after five-under 67s.
Rory McIlroy and Masters winner Sergio Garcia finished one over, the latter hitting a hole-in-one on 17.
England's Justin Rose is one further back, while world number one Dustin Johnson carded a one-under 71 and Luke Donald opened with a 74.
Scott's fellow Australian Jason Day, the world number three, is two under after scoring a 70.
BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter
Players can go through spells when they cannot avoid being centre of attention.
It seems this is the case for Masters winner Sergio Garcia, who repaired a stumbling start with a hole in one on probably the most iconic par three on the PGA Tour.
That capped an odd opening day in which a string of big names - Jason Day, Adam Scott and Rickie Fowler included - handed back promising starts.
Sawgrass represents an exacting test with no margin for error and that remains the case following the latest renovations to the layout.
Rory McIlroy has been troubled with a back problem that hampered his preparations and he will need to shed rust rapidly to have any chance of contending over the weekend.


A stowaway kitten "found cowering" inside a Spanish lorry by UK border officials is to be given a new home.

The male tabby, which has been named Paella, was spotted during a routine vehicle search at Portsmouth International Port.
It was thought the four-week-old had stowed away with his family, or had even been born in the vehicle.
He is currently in quarantine in Hampshire until November, after which he will be re-homed locally.
When he was found, vets were not sure if he would survive and has spent the past few weeks recovering from an eye infection, charity Cats Protection said.
Steve Bell, environmental health team leader at Portsmouth City Council, which runs the port, described the discovery as "pretty unusual".
"Paella was found cowering in the back of the HGV," he said.
"We can only assume he had been with his mother and siblings and they took shelter in the back of the lorry at some stage.
"He might even have been born there."


Oxford University's debating society has released a mash-up video of past speakers reciting Taylor Swift's Shake it Off in an effort to lure her to the city to give a talk.

Guests including Stephen Fry, FIFA president Sepp Blatter, actor Sir Ian McKellen, and activist Malala Yousafzai appear in the Oxford Union video.
Charles Vaughan, union president, said Swift "really defines modern pop".
The song was a worldwide hit for the US singer in August 2014.
It was taken from the album 1989, which was the year's best-selling album globally.
Other members of the video's eclectic cast include Gangnam Style singer Psy, TV presenter Piers Morgan, actors Morgan Freeman, Diane Kruger, Sir Patrick Stewart and Jack Gleeson, as well as biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins.
The video, which took a week to edit, was originally envisaged to showcase the union to new students.
Mr Vaughan said when members realised they had "quite a good product" they wanted to employ it to entice the singer to Oxford.
He added: "She's an international cultural icon.
"It's amazing when you take some famous people who are known for being celebritiesâ€¦ they have amazing things to say despite the fact that they're better known not for their academic content.
"She's a wonderful person to listen to.
"Whenever we have a speaker we try to work with them to make sure we talk about an issue which is close to their hearts.
"If Taylor - fingers crossed - actually accepts the invitation, then we can have that conversation."
The union was founded as a forum for discussion and debate in 1823.
One of its early presidents was W.E. Gladstone, who went on to become prime minister.