We went to see Avatar at the BFI IMAX. I really enjoyed it; I had a fantastic time, and am now thinking about what I did and did not like.

( spoilers for a movie that has been rather meanly called 'Dances with Smurfs' )

OK, I've cooked mine now for tonight. For future reference, how would you make a perfect tomato sauce for homemade pizza? The pizza will probably also have mozzarella, perhaps some other cheese, mushrooms and pepperoni. Italians particularly welcome.

OK, the Giant Printing Presses of Doom are churning out our 2009 Christmas card. Would you like one? Comment -- and if you suspect we might not know your current address, do let me know that too. Comments screened natch.

Next stage, the Simon-Hoggart-irritating Round Robin Letter.

Shaun Keaveny on BBC 6Music will be interviewing Eoin Colfer about the new Hitchhiker books sometime in the next hour.

Having a bucket of fun. Fun larking about with the family and not worrying about scores, fun learning to drum, and then fun sitting quietly obsessing over exact bass riffs and so on ( Read more... )

If anyone's interested in these (you will need a child aged 11-17 to gain admission) the tickets went on sale this morning. Luckily they admit 9 & 10 year olds if accompanied by an older sibling, otherwise I'd have very disappointed children.

Marianne is much better, has been sprung with only pills to take. Looks like we're going to head out to Towersey -- except probably not camping.

I know this is preaching to the converted. But I think I need to say ( Read more... )

Forehead slapping moment; I realise from the Metro that Economy Gastronomy (which I've not yet watched) is the work of Allegra McEvedy, the chef 1/3 of the partnership that founded Leon. Leon is the one local amenity I really, really miss from the office I used to work in; if I can't manage to take lunch with me I would rather buy it there than ( Read more... )

I was in Germany, in a place called Bevergern (which is near Hörstel, which in turn is twinned with Waltham Abbey), playing and dancing with the Chingford Morris in the gaps between bands at Castellans Folksommer. We stayed in a wondrous and bizarre holiday home. We drank a considerable quantity of German beer, danced in a variety of towns locally ( Read more... )