Orville, Cuddles and Keith Harris once again impressed us with their panto at Fareham, with Cinderalla. On the way home, R told me that Sacha Wareham, the Cinderella, was one of his former pupils! How's that for a claim to fame? H and I had a great afternoon, we went on the coach from Eastpoint and the whole experience was just £6 each, as we had funding from the toddler group I used to help with. That included an ice cream, vanilla, in a tub with a little spoon hidden in the lid. Nice touch.

Really, it is a fabulous panto, has everything you could long for in a panto, how many other ways can I put it? Just go see it! I am a big fan of Keith Harris, he is a recycling legend. All the old jokes being reused.

We had our housegroup recycling of presents this year, where I managed to get rid of a book on old villages and that amazing 'luxury' nightwear set which I won in the Daily Echo, and that could have fitted 2 of me in. We came away with a music stand, which is a genuine scoop for R, and two Percy Thrower gardening books which suggest a relentless work regime in the garden all year round. Last year we got a slow cooker, so we defintely do better from these things than we give to them.

I just checked out the top 100 babies names lists, and found that my 2 are still in the top 25, at number 16 and 23. In the years of their birth they were both in the top 10. Ruby is now number 1 for girls, with it a definite number 1 in Wales, presumably after Ch Ch called her baby Ruby. There are more Ashtons than Andrews these days, and thank the Lord not too many Ryans - never ever call your child Ryan, unless you intend for them to spend most of their days in trouble. Sorry to all the lovely Ryans out there. I have never met you.

Hey, with my mobile phone I got a perfume sample set and a voucher for a proper bottle, and I got it today - it costs £33 to buy, but to me - nothing! I have an unlimited texts contract and R has the new phone, and our monthly mobile bill is a third less than last year. All that and I will smell like an air freshener every day.

Yesterday was the bowen family hair cut festivities. R kicked off in the morning with a trip to 'Hair At Number 72' or whatever its called. I like that they don't bother with the pun, that usually hairdressers and chip shop owners think they have to do. 'Hair Today', British Hairways, The Codfather, A Salt and Battery - you know the genre. Then I was on at 3 and the girls on at 4 at The Hair Emporium, which is in Woolston and comes recommended highly. Sadly the Bingo hall just down the street has shut, thus leaving the east of Southampton without handy access to the glorious game. Still, we have a bowling centre in Bitterne, and if you want to go just tell me and I will explain the free game offer on the internet. Did I mention it before?