Sunny Sunday in the garden

Flowers are out, sun's shining, beers are chilled and it's another glorious sunny Sunday in our garden.

Portuguese photos

There's a blog online I check every day - it's the Sesimbra Blog. Sesimbra is a Portuguese fishing village and because of its secluded position and natural beauty, now doubles up as a holiday spot. The Sesimbra blogger posts at least one picture each day of his home town and it's always a joy to see what's online. The images range from tourists having fun, 1960s hotels, new developments and the locals doing what they do best. Sesimbra is also where we spent last year's summer hols, and comes highly recommended for those who like their sun, sea, sand and Super Bock with a spot of P&Q.

Called to the bar

Being on jury service is something I thought I'd always wanted to do. But now I've been called to the bar.

Not that bar. This bar.

And it's making me slightly nervous.

Snot fair

It's not the worst flu I've ever had, confining me to the sofa in a blanket rather than to bed in a duvet. But by 'eck, it's gone on long enough. And I know it's flu and not a bad cold as the multiple choice competitions on ITV daytime telly prove too hard to work out.

Anyway, that's me blogged. I'm worn out now. So it's back to the sofa, terrible daytime TV, another Lemsip and a Vick's vapour rub. Lovely.

Dave Gorman: America Unchained

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I can't recommend it highly enough. Rush out and buy it now.

PS: Dear Mr Gorman, can I have my £5 now?

Coronation Street Weekly Update, May 25 2009

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here.

This week the update passes on the badge of feck.

eBay, innit?

Isn't eBay great? Not only is it providing the spends for a long weekend by the sea next month after we sold off loads of tat but something else has just happened too.

I bought a hard-to-find book on eBay a while back, read it, enjoyed, passed it on my lovely man who read and then I got it back. What goes around comes arond so I stuck the book back on eBay and it's sold today for double the price I bought it at.

eBay. Great, innit?

Jesus biscuits

A woman came to the door the other day with a food hamper in her hand. She told me it was mine and she smiled as she handed it to me. Confused, I waited for her to tell me where I'd won it, and why, but she didn't, she just smiled as I looked from hamper to her, from her back to hamper. "It's your gift," she told me, "from Jesus."

I made polite noise, declined the hamper and she left. But if Jesus had put better biscuits in the hamper, I might have been converted.

Always judge a book by its cover

Lunchtime today was spent browsing books in Waterstones.

I've been getting through books like a hot knife through butter having recently enjoyed Louise Wener's The Half Life of Stars (she was the lead singer with Sleeper, now a novellist) and Scarlett Thomas's Seaside. Both of those female writers I highly recommend.

And so I'm browsing and judging books by their covers, as you do. And the ones I put back on the shelves had one of more of these things on the front cover - a champagne bottle, a wine glass, a stiletto, or the cover sparkled or was pink.

To sum up then - if it looks like it might be chick-lit, it goes back on the shelf.

Coronation Street Weekly Update, May 18 2009

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here.

This week the update comes with a splash of Tweed by Lentheric behind its ears.

Garden in May

Our garden's looking wonderful right now and therefore I make no apology for showing it off again in all its glory.

The Specials at Brixton

It was April 2008 when I heard the rumour. It was December 2008 when the tickets arrived. And last night, 10 days after it was cancelled due to Terry Hall's vocal problems, The Specials gig at Brixton Academy went ahead. Saturday May 16 could well go down in history, not only as the best gig of my life, but also, the best sweat-soaked, beer-stained, moon-stomping night of my life.

Stotty Cake

When family members from up north come to stay in London, it's always a treat. Of course I love to see them. Of course I miss them. Of course it's great having them stay with us in the house and we can show them the sights.

But the best bit of their visit is the stotty cake they bring. You just can't get it here in London and these soft, southern jessies don't have a clue what they're missing. Londoners can keep their fancy focaccia, give me a stotty every time.

See also: The joy of stotty

Coronation Street Weekly Update, May 11 2009

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here.

This week the invisible man pays Deirdre another visit.

Reality TV

So, we arrived home from work and found a letter from Channel 4. They're looking for a house in our street to use for filming a new kids' telly programme and want to know if we're interested. I said no, until I read the letter further. They're offering £400 a day, yes, £400 a day. But do I want a telly crew in our home and all the upheaval that'll go with it? And having to take time off work...? Probably not. But still, £400 a day, it's tempting, I can tell you.

Coronation Street Weekly Update, May 4 2009

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here.

This week the update wonders why, after almost 50 years, Corrie still doesn't invest in tear-proof mascara.

May in the garden

Our back garden's gorgeous right now, possibly the prettiest it'll be all year. Possibly.

Hairspray the Musical

To tourist central last Saturday night to see Hairspray the Musical. Tickets were horribly expensive but the show turned out to be worth every penny.

If you haven't been to see it, go, even if it's just to see Michael Ball in a fat suit dragged up as Divine. Wonderful stuff.