The new Harry Potter films is surprisingly decent, and not just because Mark Kermode told me I could like it this time round. Nobody spewed up any slugs, and I would like to thank everyone concerned for this. I find myself strangely drawn towards David Thewlis, especially with big scratches on his face. The Brazilian dentist and I saw a witch on ( Read more... )

My cold is almost over, you'll be glad to hear, and I'm just at the clearing-out stage now. About fifteen minutes ago I blew my nose with such vigour that I went temporarily deaf in one ear! I know being deaf is a rubbish affliction, but for a while I was quite excited, as learning sign language has prepared me for this eventuality. As long as I ( Read more... )

I feel a bit strange today. Last night I managed a quiet night in despite the return to town of Jón 'Trouble' Markússon, Icelandic boyfriend in tow (I'm sure I won't be getting off so lightly by the end of the week), but couldn't fall asleep till gone two because I was so excited about the imminent Eurovision Song Contest. Or perhaps it was all ( Read more... )

Duncan has built his own ecosystem, based on something he found on the BBC Science website but which I can't locate now that I want to put a link in. Anyway, it consists of a bottle with earth and gravel at the bottom, then a few different plants and a handpicked selection of the garden's finest woodlice and ants (the auditions were tough). All ( Read more... )

Duncan (hearing an item on the radio about the government drive to get people to exercise more): "The goverment should fund gyms and leisure centres. They should tax people for using the library and make it free to go to the gym. Because people are getting too clever, don't you think, Jo ( Read more... )

Last night the Polish man killed the slug and I killed my phone. How many phones is it possible to get through in a year? Can somebody beat three, please? OK, I really am going now.

I've just realised that Camden depresses the hell out of me. I may well not go there again ( Read more... )

Thank you for indulging me with your birthday greetings. I feel like I've hosted an internet party, which seems to be a good idea and so much easier to clean up. Despite having to do a full day's work in bad weather and chaotic traffic, and Mike not being here, I had a pretty good day. I got books, flowers and earrings, which I was hoping for, ( Read more... )

An investigation by The Times and Newham's foremost literary sleuth has unearthed evidence that the blog of so-called miss_newham may be a fake. Detective Percy Carruthers said "My suspicions were aroused by the high level of stupidity in so-called miss_newham's journal entries. I found it impossible to believe that someone in her late twenties, who purports to have ( Read more... )

It's fixed! It's fixed! After two days where Duncan and the Brazilian dentist nearly reduced one another to tears, they have managed to get all the computers in the house working at once. They are now having a celebratory sandwich. Bless 'em ( Read more... )