Flaming Nora

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here. This week in Corrie, a little scene with Rita just about broke my heart.

It's that time of year so I shouldn't be too surprised that I've gone through it again. I blog about it every year too. In Mid-November I have a hissy fit and go into bah-humbug mode about not wanting to get caught up in the commercialism and cynicism of Christmas. And then, before you know it, it's almost December and I've done all me shopping and planning to go out and buy a tree up this weekend. It's like I have to go through that grumpy patch to get to the good stuff. Mind you, I still hate the commercialism and could well do without it. But I do love the good stuff, the family stuff, the food and the drink stuff, the watching telly stuff, going out stuff, being off work stuff. And it's all that I'll concentrate on this Christmas, as always.

Giving this a blog plug as my brother is Director. It's Alan Ayckbourn's must unusual and funny play - Awaking Beauty . And it's being shown in Sunderland every Saturday and Sunday during December 2011 at the Infinity Theatre Restauarant - well worth a night out to support local theatre. Join us for a brilliant night of festive entertainment. A Christmas three course dinner, and an excellent musical show written by Alan Ayckbourn. Ever wondered what happened to Sleeping Beauty as she was woken up in the 21st century? Come along for a brilliantly fun entertaining evening. Tickets cost £24.95 inc. show and 3 course meal WARNING - NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN.. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE AND SEXUAL REFERENCE ◦A scrumptious 3-course Christmas dinner ◦An entertaining festive show, (Tue, Wed, Thu: “Selection Box” – Fri, Sat: “Awaking Beauty”) ◦A star prize for one lucky ticket holder on the night (prizes inc. a PS3, X-Box 360, Nintendo Wii, Mountain Bike, iPod, etc....

It's coming up to Christmas and the telly ads have started. I have a sort of love/hate relationship with Christmas telly ads. Not the ones for sherry and chocolates, for jumpers and games. It's the ads for perfume and aftershaves I have the problem with. Both sell a hyper-realistic femininity and masculinity that only ever appears in ads for scent, and only ever at Christmas. A flight of stairs and a wind machine are usually involved. So let's cut the crap and tell it like it is. Perfume and aftershave won't make you  more desirable, even at Christmas. If you're lucky, they might make you smell nice, that's all. Anyway, while Googling for an image to use on this post, I came across a facebook group I'll blog here too. It's called " Angered by Christmas Perfume Ads " so I guess I'm not the only one who feels this way.

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here. This week in Corrie Lloyd cried, and cried, and cried.

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

Just back from a week in the sun where in between some quality sightseeing, lazing, eating and drinking I got through a few books. I love autobiographies because I enjoy reading about the private lives of public people.  Therefore, I especially bought for this holiday a book that I'd wanted to read for a very long time. It was Bill Tarmey's autobiography, Jack Duckworth and Me .  The Coronation Street actor's book wasn't what I expected, however, and I've blogged about it in depth at the Coronation Street Blog . Another light and fluffy life story I read was Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel-Horwood's autobiography, All Balls and Glitter . Quite interesting but nowhere near enough backstage gossip from Strictly as I would have liked (and to be honest, what I bought the book for). Onto more weighty work with the release of a hidden gem from 1928, Patrick Hamilton's Twopence Coloured . It's been released by Faber Finds and if you've read any...

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here. This week in Corrie John Stape died.

Very interesting TV programme last night about Tripadvisor reviewers who 'destroy' the livelihoods of small hoteliers and resaturanteurs by posting damaging reviews. I watched and enjoyed the programme because I'm a big fan of Tripadvisor and have used it for many years, reading and writing hotel reviews each time I go on holiday or a short break.  But although I watched and enjoyed the programme I didn't agree with it all.  It tried to give Tripadvisors a bad name but there are hundreds of thousands of us who use it responsibly and what exactly is wrong with putting an opinion online when you're paying hard-earned cash for a business service you deem to be lacking? But anyway, I try always to use Tripadvisor responsibly, For instance,  I have recently stayed in two mediocre B&Bs, which were run by their owners. I could have nitpicked about both of them on Tripadvisor but because I knew that they were small places, livelihoods of their owners, I didn't p...