And Then He Said

More from down here in western Cornwall, where the weather has swung schizophrenically between dire and delightful, and where I am making great progress in planning my Channel 5 sitcom entry. Still almost a week left down here! Day four You can't see it but…The sound of a tractor engine could clearly be heard from…

Much as I'd like to write long poetic screeds about this holiday, the inconvenience of posting from lay-bys and field entrances has dampened my ardour for vivid reportage. And anyway, falling on your arse in what may well have been a cow pat doesn't lend itself to breathless prose. Just lots of muttered cursing. So…

Have spent the last few days in a ridiculously idyllic former miner's cottage on the edge of a steep valley in the very westernmost part of Cornwall. For those who know the area, we're by the Cot Valley within walking distance of Cape Cornwall. The cottage is owned by the National Trust (we make an…

It's 5am and I'm practically swivel-eyed with tiredness and too much coffee. I just got home from work, and from a profitable half-hour hanging around looking shifty at a petrol station – the BP in the shadow of Hammersmith Flyover, to be precise. This is it for a while, almost to the end of January,…

The gates out of Trafalgar Square under Admiralty Arch were closed last night. That's not happened in the six months I've been driving home along that route, but there's always a risk of it – in much the same way there's always a risk that you'll blow your eyeballs out when you sneeze. It probably…

Blogging bearI knew I should have taken more care of my passwords…

The girl hobbled gingerly past the Cromwell Crown Hotel, shoes in hand, feet rebelling at the cold 4am touch of the paving slabs. But, as her friend beside her spoke, she swung her hair and laughed and it was clear that the afterglow of a New Year's party was keeping her warm. The pair were…

So, farewell then 2004. You were a funny old year. How shall I remember you in years to come? To help me when I'm old and grey, here's a review of my year – a greatest hits, if you like. If you've been with me through the year – thank you, I appreciate it. Warning:…

I’m off work today for the first time since Christmas Eve and intend to stay in the warm with an endless supply of toast and tea (or possibly Green and Black’s hot chocolate) and look at webcams of cold, seemingly inhospitable places with a sense of relief at being here, not there. Having said that,…