Flaming Nora

For no other reason than I love it and can't understand why it's not on primetime telly and a big, fat, huge hit, I'm blogging one of my favourite telly programmes. It's Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Please. The dialogue is cracking and the actors are superb. So why's it still tucked away on BBC Three?

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates for th'internet since 1995 and the latest one has just gone live here . This week the update comes with a pair of yellow rubber gloves and a pigeon.

For those interested in such things, I've now writen 27,000 words of my novel. That's more than a quarter of the way through, although less than half. Tim Dowling, Guardian writer and novelist, has nicked my(*) Flaming Nora picture for his article here at The First Post . He lists the devils against getting on with novel writing as being, in no particular order, and which I agree with him totally as being: Food, Family, Internet, Everything Within Reach of Your Desk and The Enormity of What You Are Doing. (*)I know it's not mine, it just feels like it is . I've been using it as my blog icon since I started blogging back in 1956.

This week, when no-one was watching, I skipped. And in public too. It was fantastic fun and a real cheery-up couple of moments. Why do adults stop skipping? When is it deemed inappropriate for grown ups not to skip and more importantly - why? And I see I'm not the only one who blogs on the joys of skipping. There's even a skipping website too. So, when was the last time you skipped along the street?

A little plug for what I hope will be a great big success. If you're in the North London area, do support The Big Green Book Shop . Two blokes, one bookshop, no idea. Best of luck to you both.

Just finished reading the poet Roger McGough's autobiograhy Said and Done . As well as being a poet of course, he was also a member of the Scaffold who brought Lily the Pink to the forefront of popular culture, well, at least round our way when I was a kid. Reading Alan Bennett makes me want to curl up with a cup of tea and a slice of cake but reading Roger McGough makes me want to head off to the pub, bare my soul and inflict my poetry on the world, after downing a pint or two . So if you'd like a smile on your face and a spring in your step, I heartily recommend reading his book, it's fab. I also learned a bit of Corrie trivia I didn't know while reading the book too.

I've been writing Coronation Street Weekly Updates for th'internet since 1995. And the latest one has just gone live here . This week the update has been delivered direct by the Milk Tray Man.

I was sitting on the top deck of the 91 bus to Crouch End this week and the man in front of me was Charlie Higson. Yes, Charlie Higson from The Fast Show, writer of many fine novels and all round talented bloke. I resisted the urge to poke him on the shoulder and tell him what I fan of his I was. "These talented arty types like to be left alone", I thought, and besides, it'd be rude. So I just stared at the back of his head for a long time, thinking to myself "I'm sitting on the bus on the seat behind Charlie Higson!" It was difficult, but I also resisted the urge to tell him how much I loved his novels, particularly Getting Rid of Mr Kitchen which I thought was fab but then remembered I bought it up in a remainder shop for 99p and so it probably hadn't sold as well as he'd hoped. So I kept quiet, all the while thinking to myself "Bloody hell, it's Charlie Higson!" This went on for, oh, about 30 minutes during which time I also r...

Just finished reading two very different books about the life stories of two very different men. I recommend both. First off was Adam Ant's autobiography Stand and Deliver. Even if you're not a huge fan of the man, and I'm not, it's an entertaining and quite sad read. And the other book was the biography of Mafia man Henry Hill. The book spawned one of my favourite ever films, Goodfellas and the writer of the book, Nicholas Pileggi has also written the book on which another film up there in my top five all time favourites, Casino , was based too.

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates for th'internet since 1995. And the latest one has just gone live here. This week the update comes complete with a jam doughnut and some awful wedding hats.

My latest Coronation Street podcast is now alive and kicking on th'internet wireless at the Soap Show website right here .

I realise that when I give updates on the word count of my novel in progress, the posts aren't as thrilling as readers might like. However, there's an enormous sense of achievement in putting together words that make sense after a writing session and therefore, I'm very happy to say, the novel is now up to 21,000 words. I feel that it's a milestone of sorts as it's approx. a quarter of the way through. All I need to do now is put in the time to repeat those 21,000 words another three times and I'm there, all done. What I'll do then? I haven't a clue.

To the theatre this week to see Alan Ayckbourn's Absurd Person Singular starring the wonderful Jane Horrocks. Watching live theatre is one of my loves in London but I'm wondering where my life has gone. Battling to manage ongoing panic attacks when travelling by tube is no fun. My thoughts are turning this way and that, caused by the stress of all this . Am I turning into an absurd person, singular?

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates for th'internet since 1995. The latest one has just gone live here if you'd like to read it. This week the update comes with Janette Krankie and a free pint of Guinness.

Whether you're loved up or fed up, what are you planning for Valentine's Day?

For anyone who's interested, my novel in progress now has over 18,000 words. I'm full of passion for writing it, constantly thinking of ideas and twists for it, but finding time to write it is the difficult part. So, when do you find the time to write while working full-time? Week nights? They're for relaxing by the telly with my lovely man or going out and doing stuff in one of the best cities in the world. And of course, one night a week I write this . Saturdays? Are for watching football, shopping, housework and/or going out and doing stuff in one of the best cities in the world. Sundays? At the moment, it's my only writing time. So while passion for writing rages on, progress is painfully slow. I've thought about getting up an hour earlier during the week to sit and write before I shower and shovel Rice Krispies down and set off for work. It might be the only way.

There's a picture gallery online here of disgraced MPs son, Henry Conway. View it and then think yourself lucky that, all things considered, you've probably grown up quite normal in comparison.

The "Joe Cole affair" story which hit the tabloids last weekend left me with a turn of phrase that has tickled my funny literary bone all week. The Mirror quoted the footy player as having had a boozy fling with a hairdresser. And I can't say I blame him. It's almost poetic.