I was in Cadiz at Christmas and while it was pleasant it wasn't at all like Christmas. This year Christmas Eve feels right.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and Boxing Day/St Stephen's Day. I've had a very enjoyable Christmas. As there was a very young child in the house we all had to get up on Christmas morning at ...

I'm currently tucked up in bed and it is very late so this will be short. I arrived safely yesterday without any mishaps other than the plane being delayed by 45 minutes. In the end TB lent me his ...

Stayed in bed on Saturday morning doing the Guardian crossword Did two large loads of laundry Decided to go to Shoreditch and then discovered the trains weren't running Caught a bus into central ...

I have been writing this blog since September 2004 which I find quite unbelievable. Blogging went out of fashion but it seems to have returned only this time rather than people providing content to ...

Did some knitting in bed Spent two days and one evening in the British Library at the Irish Writers' Weekend Got invited by the Irish Ambassador to a VIP reception Stood next to Graham Norton and then ...

I am feeling very under the weather as I have another stinking cold and am coughing like someone who smokes 40 cigarettes a day. I smoke no cigarettes a day. Despite this I have managed to do some ...

Went to the market with TB and afterwards had coffee with SF Caught the train to Charing Cross and then walked with tens of thousands of other people as far as Vauxhall Bridge Was as always humbled by ...

On Saturday morning and did lots of housework Completed the Guardian Prize crossword before 10.00 a.m. which is my fastest time ever Went to the market and then had coffee with TB and SF Had lunch ...

My visitors have left now and while it was lovely to see them it is also lovely to get my flat back to myself. I was still feeling very unwell and one of the things I have learnt when family come to ...