Today has been a happy day. My part of the annual deadline has passed, so when my niece rang to say she was in town (her fiance is helping to run EICE radio at an event called Education Innovation) I could go and meet them. When I got home, I went swimming for the first time since Christmas. Walking back, the stars were very clear, though I ( Read more... )

Gosh, it seems to be February... that's alarming, given what I still have to do by the end of the month. Anyway, a couple of months ago, my niece asked what I'd like for Christmas, so I suggested Behind the Sofa: Celebrity Memories of Doctor Who, edited by Steve Berry ( Read more... )

Actually, I've decided this is rather a good week (ignoring the terrifying piles of word to be done). They haven't messed up Mary Morstan yet, and The Bletchley Circle is back.

(Happy Birthday, Mr Holmes.)

Also posted on Dreamwidth, with
( Read more... )

Well, OK, before The Sign of Three arrives and makes me regret this, I'm going to write something brief about The Empty Hearse, and it's this: sod We Didn't Like the Way They Did the Solution* (I could write a explanation of why I think they called that right, but not tonight), and sod It's Too Clever and Pleased with Itself, and sod It's Trying ( Read more... )

The heavens have smiled on Chester-le-Street. While the other six matches have been halted by rain, Durham have surged to victory over Nottinghamshire, and with it their third County Championship title!  You can watch the moment and the celebrations here.

So that's two of the four items on my wishlist ticked off - Lancashire having already secured ( Read more... )

Today was the first day of Metrolink's scheduled passenger service from East Didsbury! Starting at 5.49 a.m.

( So I set my alarm clock... )

Two pieces of good news reached me this morning:

the recent arrival of the first member of the next-but-one generation, my first cousin twice removed Ted, born yesterday, on the birthday of my sister, who I suppose becomes his godgrandmother, while I will classify myself as a sort-of great-aunt.

the imminent departure of the first passenger tram ( Read more... )

I couldn't swim on Tuesday, as I had done the previous two weeks, as one of the lights in the pool chamber had fallen down, or was falling down, and they seemed rather vague when I asked if it would be OK next week. But I rang today and was told all was fine again, so I headed off at 8.55 p.m. and was in the water by 9.15. This is the latest time ( Read more... )

Labour redwashed Manchester again! We won 32 seats out of 32 - one fewer than last year, but only because there was an extra seat then thanks to a by-election, whose winner was returned again tonight. A dozen gains from the Lib Dems, four of them in our own constituency, one of them in our very own ward of Didsbury West, considered unwinnable ( Read more... )

Tonight was the night for the annual quiz organised by the Medical Foundation for the Care of the Victims of Torture, aka The Quiz Where They Have The Organic Vegetables.

Also known as The Quiz Where You Really Want To Come Second, because, as you may remember, last year we won and were fobbed off with bottles of wine, whereas in 2009 we were ( Read more... )