As I was saying to *enter celebrity name* just this morning

I recently started twittering and was intrigued by being able to follow one's favourite celebrity and see what they are up to. It's sort of legalised stalking.
Being conscious of the amount of time I already spend on line and not wanting to be deluged by updates I never actually started following many people but a few days ago i tried it and, because a friend was already following her, I began to follow Lily Allen, the singer (joining the other 1.2 million) who I do actually enjoy listening to.
So now I can say things like 'I told Lily (Allen) what I thought of her new song' or '......well, as I said to Lily this morning.......'
Looking through people who replied to one of her tweets this morning 12,500 people viewed it in the first hour with various comments (some friendly, some weird, some pointless)but what struck me was the easy familiarity of people, almost as though all these people really are friends with Ms Allen.I wondered how many actually 'believe' they have her as a friend. I have no way of knowing what it feels like to be a celebrity but I'm not sure if I would want this constant attention, some? yes and perhaps lots at first but it really is a bit creepy and I think I will continue to admire her from afar

and for those of you who value grammar

I read yesterday about a man who is protesting about falling standards in grammar by painting apostrophes on the signs at the end of his street there-by changing St Johns Close into St John's Close.
This is all well and good and I do applaud his stand but I hope he has fully considered and researched the issue before acting as his alteration raises some important questions. There are several St Johns and it may be that they own the close collectively in which case that apostrophe is in the wrong place. If, indeed, the close does belong to only one of the many St Johns can ownership be proven? and do the residents need to check their deeds and perhaps pay any rent arrears which may have accrued?

Finally, I wonder how long it will be before someone writes underneath .........but he's not here yet.

The English abroad (part 1 of a few)

Being english we are aware that we speak the same language as all the gods etc. We also possess the only worthwhile culture. As to culinary knowledge and expertise? well England has it all. Consider, if you will the following tale.

On arrival in Brittany (France) some of our party drove to the nearest town and bought supplies. Amongst those supplies were about 6 1 litre bottles of Lait Ribot. Elementary french class lait = milk, great!

First bottle is opened, added to tea and curdles, second bottle is opened and declared 'off' bottles 3,4,5 and six follow. I look carefully at the labelling and see that it says something about fermente but am out voted and sent back to the shop where my friend and I tell the young lady repeatedly that the milk is bad, IT'S BAD, le lait est mal etc. She refunds the money for the 6 opened bottles and we buy some sterilized milk.

I tried to research lait ribot but only found a brief mention in a cookery book about drinking it with crepes.
It was only when I got home and googled that I found that this regional delicacy is a fermented milk which is traditionally drunk with crepes.

You lack commitment

I am very disappointed in my friends.
as you know we arrived back in England this morning after an absence of 2 weeks. The kids and I shuffled off to the shops to get in some milk, bread etc. As we walked past a parade of shops my son was mobbed, yes MOBBED by a brace of young ladies hugging him and declaring how much they had missed him.

I'm back too (hint hint)

You people really should show more enthusiasm ;-)

I have returned

Have just got back from France and, no doubt, there will be tales to tell but, for now, bear with me (or in the case of some people bare with me, because I have a lot of catching up to do.
I will work my way through everything as fast as I can, which isn't very fast.

I have missed you folks

xxx