I'll keep this brief, but this is a real gem. This and Tracie's album are two great albums: warm, up-lifting, spiritful. I've been telling everyone I know about these songs. Now I am telling you. It'll make you feel as good as the sun from the Spring of 2011. The swing version of Wearing Your Jumper is a killer.

Kay Burley shows in this book a wonderful gift for taking all the interesting people she has met through her 'journalism' job and making them totally implausible. And she exercises this talent to its maximum in the unlikely tale of suave Julian, the skillfully tongued Prime Minister, his hard-drinking wife, Valerie and the many media people Kay assumes are at the forefront of all public life. The most implausible character of all is the sexy, 'intelligent' TV journalist, Isla.

If you are hoping either for a straightforward 'jolly good read' or a book so bad it might be fun I am afraid you won't find either in 'First Ladies'. One has to admire Kay's determination, however, to try difficult things - interviewing, ice-skating and now novel writing. Blind ambition is also a gift of a kind.

This album is also titled 'If You Are Not Part of the Solution, You Are Part of the Problem', which is one of the tracks. This album rocks, you can feel the politics and the excitement of the period in the music. Terrific.

I saw Linda Lewis on an Old Grey Whistle Test re-run on Sky Arts or BBC4 or some such programme, singing ' It's A Frame', straight after Roy Harper. I thought she was just the coolest singer. A great 70's vibe. On this album, I like 'I Do My Best To Impress' and 'Walkabout'. Take you to another time and place. Beautiful.

I heard a great version of Free by the Pale Fountains, well worth checking out. It made me dig out this record, though, and I was pleasantly surprised how good the whole album is. Jazzy, soulful. 'Niecy's' voice is exuberant, the songs spirited and fun. Nice wallpaper too, but they'd sold out of it at Homebase.

This series must have been a bit of a coup for LWT at the time, luring Dennis Potter away from the BBC for a while. I was early to mid teens and found the first couple of plays - Blade on the Feather, Cream in My Coffee exciting, because I took the atmosphere of mystery and menace and seedy sex seriously at that age. Some several decades later it all seems pretty meaningless.

Blade on the Feather is a typical Potter revenge scenario. Tom Conti appears at the rich country hideaway of an ex-spy (who knew Philby, Burgess and Maclean, naturally), hell-bent on wreaking havoc for the death of his father. Not sure how Tom Conti came to be such a sex symbol in the seventies, but here he is again, in a somewhat evil version of his Mr Charmer routine. What an annoying voice he has! Better were Phoebe Nicholls, Donald Pleasance and Denholm Eliot and this DVD is worth getting partly to see great actors such as these in their prime.

The play itself is a mix of some characteristic Potter elements: political discourse, a mysterious visitor, violence and sex, the nature of good and evil. Potter always seemed attracted by sensationalist, thriller-style plots, but they fit poorly in this instance with the theatrical and overly-mannered dialogue. He only used thriller conventions to good effect when he did it in an ironic, playful way as in The Singing Detective'.

Does it all add up to anything? I am not sure. Blade on the Feather just felt like a piece of 70's nostalgia - as meaningful, or not, as Confessions of a Driving Instructor or Shirley Valentine or the Exorcist or the Stud. (To be honest I think the Stud is much more interesting in many ways then this.)

Cream in My Coffee was better, somewhat in the style of Pennies From Heaven, not as good, but far better than his last few plays. The other plays in this box set I don't recall seeing at the time and have yet to watch on the DVD. I am not sure if I will.

This is by no means the first book on the experiences of teaching in tough schools. Most teachers presumably get on with their job and do what they can. 'Miss', in this case, however, appears to have used her time at the school as material for her blog, her speech to the Conservative party conference and her book. The negative publicity she generated might have helped her make a name for herself and make some money, but it didn't help the children or the school she left behind. I would object less to the usage or exploitation of her school classes if she had written something insightful or stimulating. The book is poorly written, however. Banal, self-righteous, ill-thought out. It has very little literary, sociological, psychological or even entertainment value.

Now, there are no shortage of book publicists, educationalists and politically-minded people who have an interest in telling readers this is somehow an important book. It isn't, but, as a teacher of mine used to say, ' if you don't believe me, find out for yourself.' Then, you might wonder whether this book was just a stepping stone for what seems a rather unpleasantly ambitious person.

A heart breaker of a film. Mr Hanks brings his considerable charm to direction.

I don't agree with reviewers who call the film 'inconsequential' or 'simple' or imply it's a bit of fluff. It's made to look easy, but like writing a hit pop song, it requires a gift most don't have. If people knew the secret they would do it again and again.

Ironically, like the (one hit) Wonders, this film is Tom Hanks' one-off. And what a shame that is, or did he feel he didn't have another idea he wanted to work on as a director?

He pays attention to the characters and to the dialogue. An old-fashioned film in that way. It reminded me of American Graffiti, partly because of the themes, but also because it had some of the auteur spirit of American film directors from the 70's.

The boys look good in red and gold and black. Then they go home. They 'grow up'. Tom understands that, as Mr White, and as a Director.

Hope he does another film, but there has always been beauty in a one-hit wonder. Perfection, in any way that matters.

I have played this album through and feel no connection between the GSH vocals and Jamie's music. I had hoped for something interesting. Didn't hear it. Late night club music of a type. Ok, I suppose, but don't see the connection with GSH. So what is the point of the record? When Blackalicious did First in Flight with GSH, the idea of using GSH's growling vocals with a more modern sound worked well. Not here, though. Not for me, anyway.

I look at the photos too in the inner sleeve - one of Jamie on one cover, another of GSH on the facing cover in a similar pose, as if they were equals. But GSH is a legend. Takes some front to partner yourself up with him quite so immodestly.

Not an album worth buying.

I've loved the Entourage shows and season 7 is still good, but running out of steam. Vince has an accident and starts to be a bit of a bad boy. Quite a good idea for a plot line as the character (and actor) were always a bit insipid during the earlier series runs. However, I'm not sure it works that well - he just comes across as bratty. Eric is growing up, together, at last, with Sloan (hooray!). The children, Turtle and Drama, are still doing the same old routines, but good fun. New character Scotty brings something to the party and there is the welcome return of Billy too. But really only Ari keeps this show going and I still think there would be mileage in an Ari spin-off.

Some pretty strong sex stuff in this series, including a really cringe-worthy episode of Ari having angry sex, and E and Sloan trying out ...well, you'll see for yourselves. It was embarrassing, or am I just getting old? Earlier series were less explicit, but sexier.

Anyway, I read a film is planned, but, surely, the show has come to the end of the line? It was great fun, though, on the whole - light, but very entertaining and Ari was always pure gold. Cheers, guys! Nice work one and all!