Christmas No.1's

Ho! Ho! Ho!  Here's some Christmas nostalgia for you... every Christmas No.1 from 1952 to 2011. Obviously you won't have time to listen to them all, but have a browse and pick out a few old favourites.  Just click on the song titles to be taken to the videos. Enjoy and let me know what your favourite Christmas No.1 is. My favourite is 1968.

1952  Here in My Heart - Al Martino

1953  Answer Me - Frankie Laine

1954  Let's Have Another Party - Winifred Atwell

1955  Christmas Alphabet - Dickie Valentine

1956  Just Walkin' In The Rain - Johnnie Ray

1957  Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte

1958  It's Only Make Believe - Conway Twitty

1959  What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For - Emile Ford & The Checkmates

1960  I Love You - Cliff Richard & The Shadows

1961  Moon River - Danny Williams

1962  Return to Sender - Elvis Presley

1963  I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

1964  I Feel Fine - The Beatles

1965  Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out - The Beatles

1966  The Green Green Grass Of Home - Tom Jones

1967  Hello Goodbye - The Beatles

1968  Lily The Pink - Scaffold  ( Bet you didn't know that Paul McCartney's brother Mike - known here as Mike McGear - and the poet Roger McGough were part of the Scaffold line-up.  The third member was John Gorman)

Scaffold

1969  Two Little Boys - Rolf Harris

1970  I Hear You Knockin' - Dave Edmunds

1971  Ernie ( The Fastest Milkman In The West) - Benny Hill

1972  Long Haired Lover From Liverpool - Little Jimmy Osmond

1973  Merry Christmas Everybody - Slade

1974  Lonely This Christmas - Mud

1975  Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

1976  When A Child Is Born - Johnny Mathis

1977  Mull Of Kintyre - Wings

1978  Mary's Boy Child, Oh My Lord - Boney M

1979  Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd

1980  There's No One Quite Like Grandma - St. Winifred's School Choir

1981  Don't You Want Me - The Human League

1982  Save Your Love - Renee & Renato

1983  Only You - The Flying Pickets

1984  Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid

1985  Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens

1986  Reet Petite - Jackie Wilson

1987  Always On My Mind - The Pet Shop Boys

1988  Mistletoe and Wine - Cliff Richard

1989  Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid II

1990  Saviours' Day - Cliff Richard

1991  Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are The Days Of Our Lives - Queen  (Sorry, couldn't resist this version   of Bohemian Rhapsody....if you want the proper one see 1975)

1992  I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston

1993  Mr Blobby - Mr Blobby  (You have my permission to not watch this one!)

1994  Stay Another Day - East 17

1995  Earth Song - Michael Jackson

1996  2 Become 1 - Spice Girls

1997  Too Much - Spice Girls

1998  Goodbye - Spice Girls

1999  I Have A Dream / Seasons In The Sun - Westlife

2000  Can We Fix It?? - Bob The Builder

2001  Somethin' Stupid - Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman

2002  Sound Of The Underground - Girls Aloud

2003  Mad World - Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules

2004  Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid 20

2005  That's My Goal - Shane Ward

2006  A Moment Like This - Leona Lewis

2007  When You Believe - Leon Jackson

2008  Hallelujah - Alexandra Burke

2009  Killing In The Name - Rage Against The Machine

2010  When We Collide - Matt Cardle

2011  Wherever You Are - Military Wives Choir

2012  ????

Dear Santa

Rock Hudson

Rock Hudson 1925 - 1985

On this day in 1925 Roy Harold Scherer Jr. was born in Winnetka, Illinois.  Better known to you and me as Rock Hudson, Roy was the son of an auto mechanic and a telephone operator who divorced when he was only eight years old.  After working for the Postal Service, serving as a Navy Airplane Mechanic during World War II and then driving a truck, Roy's 6' 5" frame and good looks got him into the movies. His name was changed to Rock Hudson and he took lessons in acting, singing, riding, dancing and fencing.  Rock was notoriously bad at remembering his lines and one line in his first film 'Fighter Squadron' in 1948 took 38 takes to get right.  He starred in many films and apart from the films he made with Doris Day I remember him best for his TV series 'McMillan & Wife'.  He was signed to Universal Studios to play McMillan in 1971 for one of the biggest salaries seen in television at the time.

To see some lovely pictures of Rock Hudson and Doris Day and to hear Doris singing, click on the following song title.  'Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps'

Children In Need

Did you know that Children In Need has been going for over 50 years?  The very first appeal was broadcast on the radio on Christmas Day 1927 and raised £1, 143 18s 3d which was shared between four charities.

In 1955 a 'Children's Hour Christmas Appeal' was broadcast on the TV for the first time on Christmas Day and starred Sooty and Harry Corbett.  These Christmas Day appeals carried on until 1979 on both Radio and Television.  

The first telethon format show was in 1980 presented by Terry Wogan, Sue Lawley and Esther Rantzen and the donations increased dramatically. Over a million pounds was raised for the very first time.  Last year in 2011 an incredible £26,332,334 was raised on the night.  The final total awarded to projects throughout the UK was over £46 million. 

Pudsey & Joanna Lumley

Did you know that Pudsey Bear first appeared in 1985 and he was brown?  He was named after the birthplace of his designer Joanna Ball.  It was only the next year that he became the official logo for Children In Need and he was turned yellow and given the red and white spotted bandage.

Terry Wogan is still fronting the show in 2012 with a variety of sidekicks and this years Official Song is sung by Girls Aloud.  Altogether Children in need has raised over £650 million over the years.

Oh! I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth!

I have less teeth now than I had when I started school!  (Did I tell you I'm nearly 50?)  Soon I'll be able to say I have falsies......and I won't mean boobs.  Big thanks to Mum for reminding me of this wonderful poem by Pam Ayres when I was whinging about the state of my gob!

Oh! I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth

Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth,

And spotted the perils beneath,
All the toffees I chewed,
And the sweet sticky food,
Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth.

I wish I'd been that much more willin'
When I had more tooth there than fillin'
To pass up gobstoppers,
From respect to me choppers
And to buy something else with me shillin'.

When I think of the lollies I licked,
And the liquorice allsorts I picked,
Sherbet dabs, big and little,
All that hard peanut brittle,
My conscience gets horribly pricked.

My Mother, she told me no end,
"If you got a tooth, you got a friend"
I was young then, and careless,
My toothbrush was hairless,
I never had much time to spend.

Oh I showed them the toothpaste all right,
I flashed it about late at night,
But up-and-down brushin'
And pokin' and fussin'
Didn't seem worth the time... I could bite!

If I'd known I was paving the way,
To cavities, caps and decay,
The murder of fillin's
Injections and drillin's
I'd have thrown all me sherbet away.

So I lay in the old dentist's chair,
And I gaze up his nose in despair,
And his drill it do whine,
In these molars of mine,
"Two amalgum," he'll say, "for in there."

How I laughed at my Mother's false teeth,
As they foamed in the waters beneath,
But now comes the reckonin'
It's me they are beckonin'
Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth.

Copyright: Pam Ayres

Happy 90th to BBC Radio and Happy 60th to the UK Singles Chart

On the 14th November 1922 at 5.33pm the British Broadcasting Company crackled into the lives and homes of the British public for the very first time.  Read by Arthur Burrows was a news bulletin which featured stories about a train robbery, a rowdy meeting involving Winston Churchill and the latest Billiard scores.  Mr Burrows read each story twice, once quickly and once slowly and asked the listeners to say which one they preferred.  At 5.33pm today a composition by Damon Albarn was played on all the BBC's stations to celebrate this significant Anniversary.  On a personal note, I feel like I was brought up on BBC Radio 2 as my Mum loved having music on when we were growing up. To this day I have happy memories of listening to Terry Wogan, Jimmy Young, 'Diddy' David Hamilton and Pete Murray amongst others.  And who can forget the Grumbleweeds and Roy Castle.  Can you imagine life without Radio and Television? I'd rather not.

Al Martino

Today is also the 60th Anniversary of the first UK Singles Chart which was published in the New Musical Express on 14th November 1952.  The first No.1 was Al Martino's Here in my Heart which spent nine weeks at the top spot, which also made it the first ever UK Christmas No.1.
The first full chart was a Top 12 which are listed below (Please click on any of the titles to listen to the songs)

1.  Here in My Heart - Al Martino
2.  You Belong to Me - Jo Stafford
3.  Somewhere Along the Way - Nat King Cole
4.  The Isle of Innisfree - Bing Crosby
5.  Feet Up (Pat Him on the Po-Po) - Guy Mitchell
6.  Half As Much - Rosemary Clooney
7.  High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me) - Frankie Laine
8.  Sugarbush - Doris Day & Frankie Laine
     and Blue Tango - Ray Martin and His Concert Orchestra
9.  The Homing WaltzThe Homing Waltz - Very Lynn
10. Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart - Vera Lynn
11  Cowpuncher's Cantata - Max Bygraves
      and Because You're Mine - Mario Lanza
12. Walkin' My Baby Back Home - Johnnie Ray

Obviously I wasn't around in 1952 (not quite that old...although, did I tell you I'm nearly 50?) but I do remember many a happy Sunday afternoon in my youth listening to and recording the Top 40 on Radio 1.
The secret was trying not to get any of the DJ talking on your recording, not always a successful venture it has to be said!

Happy Birthday Tricia

Happy Birthday little Sister.  It only seems like yesterday since you popped into our lives.  David Cassidy was No.1 in the charts with Daydreamer  .... 'The Way We Were' starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford was in the cinemas and you share your Birthday with Grace Kelly, Auguste Rodin and Cote Depablo (Ziva in NCIS)

In the last year of High School, we were asked in English class to write a story with the title 'Red Letter Day'.  This is my effort, which was published in the 1979 edition of the school magazine, 'The Augustinian'!
Hope you like it and are having a nice birthday.

RED LETTER DAY

I'll never forget the day that my little sister was born, 12th November 1973.  It had already been decided that if the baby was a boy he would be called Michael, and if it was a girl, she would be called Tricia.  My mum had been given the date 28th October to expect the baby to arrive, so you can imagine that by the 11th of November we were all getting very impatient, especially my Mum.  My brother and I kept asking her whether she wanted a boy or a girl.  She told us that she didn't care what it was as long as it was healthy.

It was round about dinner-time on 12th November when my mum finally went into hospital.  I didn't know until i arrived home from school to find my Nanna busily preparing tea.  She and my Grandad had come to look after us while Mum was in hospital.  I was so excited that I could hardly eat my tea!

As soon as my Dad came home from work he went straight out again, this time to the hospital.  He said he would ring us up as soon as there was any news.  He rang up at about seven 'clock, to tell us that the baby hadn't arrived yet.  He rang again at nine o'clock to tell us that the baby had been born, but he wouldn't tell us over the phone whether it was a boy or a girl.  It seemed like hours later when my Dad arrived home, but in fact it was only half an hour.  He came into the lounge with a big smile on his face and announced as if to the world at general, "It's a girl, you've got a little sister!"

We went mad, running around the room and cheering and my Grandad opened a bottle of champagne he had been saving.  It was about midnight by the time I got to bed that night and I couldn't get to sleep for ages.  I had the following morning off school, because my Nanna let us stay in bed late.  When I got to school I told all my friends.  They all made little cards for my Mum which I thought was really nice of them.

Happy Birthday John

John and Tracey

Happy Birthday little Brother.... doesn't time fly?  It doesn't seem a day over forty-seven years since you brought me that little patent handbag  (with black and white fur on one side)  from wherever it it is babies come from.... I never did find out.  Where do babies come from? Never mind...I'll google it.

Just look how cute you were....what happened?  Just kidding! That cheeky little grin holds a promise of much mischief to come. 

Did you know you are as old as 'The Sound of Music' and 'Thunderball'? And on the day you were born the Rolling Stones were at No.1 in the singles chart with Get off my cloud  (Cost 33p) 

Charlie Sheen was born the same year as you - as was Robert Downey Jr. Not entirely sure that is something to brag about though.  I think in a competition between the three of you to see who turned out best.... you'd win hands down.

 1965

Some Headlines from the year you were born - hope you don't mind me telling everyone what year you were born.  Well tough ... I'm nearly 50 you know!

• Ronald Biggs escapes from jail
• Krays in custody over menace charge
• Millions watch space probe crash into Moon
• Heath is new Tory leader
• US orders 50,000 troops to Vietnam
• Beautiful baby boy born in Lancashire 7th November. (Just checking to see if  you're still paying attention)

Have a Wonderful Birthday

Lots of Love

from
Tracey A.K.A The Fairy Elephant

xxx

Spooky!

I think I may be reading too many True Crime stories.  I nipped out to do an errand this afternoon and drove past a man running down the street carrying a handsaw and a crumpled up carrier bag with goodness knows what inside.  I wonder if I would have even noticed him if I didn't have my head filled with stories of murder and other nefarious goings on at the moment! Not to mention it's Halloween...OooooOOOoooo!
Anyway, as the saw didn't appear to have any blood on it and he didn't seem to be chasing anybody, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.  I did however take a mental description - just in case ......

110 Moss Street - Part 2

On Tuesday 28th March 1876 seven-year-old Emily Holland set off from her home at 110 Moss Street* in her Sunday Best to go to St Alban’s RC School.  There was a Government Inspector coming that day and she wanted to look her best.  However, little Emily never made it home that day and her father James Holland searched frantically for her on the Tuesday evening and on Wednesday morning the police were called.  Emily was described as having a pale complexion and dark hair.  She was wearing a black dress, a black hat, boots and a purple and white scarf when she was last seen. The locals suspected the man responsible must have been known to Emily because she was a clever child who wouldn't have gone off with a stranger.

Emily had been seen talking to a scruffily dressed man who her friends had seen in the street at about the time she disappeared.  He was described as about 40 years of age, shortish at about 5' 6" and looking like a navvy. He had dark hair and was wearing a dark coat, vest and trousers. His description was sent out across the north of England and men were arrested as faraway as Leeds. However, the man seen in the street was eventually found and was discovered to have had no involvement.

Finally on Thursday, shortly before noon, a lady found a parcel in a field at the end of Bastwell Terrace, just off Whalley Road.  The parcel was wrapped in newspaper and contained the torso of a child.  PC Rostron was called and he took the parcel to the Police Station.  In 1876 there was no Forensic Science Service and very few detectives, none of whom were available to Blackburn’s police force.  Three doctors were asked to help; Dr Martland, Dr Cheesbrough and Dr Patchett.

  
The identity of the body was confirmed by Emily’s Aunt from a white birthmark on her back. The townspeople were horrified by the discovery and the search began for the missing body parts.  On Saturday the legs of the missing girl were discovered by Richard Fairclough in a culvert at Lower Cunliffe, also wrapped in newspaper, but even though thousands of people joined the search on the Sunday, the head and arms remained missing.

More people were arrested, including the local tobacconist on Birley Street, even though he was nowhere near the scene when Emily vanished.  A breakthrough in the case came when Dr Martland found hairs of varying lengths and colours when examining the body of Emily.  Some of these turned out to be men's whiskers.  He told the police that the body must have been dismembered on the floor of a barber's shop.

This new evidence led to the Police searching all of the barbers shops in Blackburn.  Nothing was found but the police’s suspicions were now focused on two local men – Denis Whitehead whose shop was on Birley Street, and William Fish whose shop was at 3 Moss Street.  Both shops were searched but nothing was found.  Whitehead was arrested but but was able to provide an alibi. When Emily's funeral  passed by William Fish's shop he was sat on the doorstep smoking his pipe.

A second search of 3 Moss Street also turned up nothing but then the police were offered the use of a bloodhound and decided to search both premises again.  This was done on Easter Sunday with the shop on Birley Street being searched first. The dog found nothing and was taken to Fish's shop. The building was a two-up two-down brick built terraced house and the front room, downstairs, was the shop with its barber’s chair and mirror, there was a fireplace in this and every room. The back room had a shallow sink and a pile of coal under the stairs. The two rooms upstairs were probably bare as Fish lived at 162 Moss Street with his family.  The dog lingered around the sink downstairs,but but no traces of blood could be found. William Fish, his wife and the Chief Constable accompanied the dog upstairs where the animal had no reaction in the back room, but in the front room it ran straight to the fireplace and started barking.  The dogs owner, startling the assembled people thrust his arm up the chimney and came out with a parcel in his hand.  In this, wrapped in a copy of the Manchester Courier, they found the charred skull of the girl and “some other bones”.

Fish must have known that the game was up and he said nothing as the parcel was opened.

Outside a large crowd of several thousand angry people had started to gather.  The police realised that if they got hold of Fish he would be killed and so Chief Constable Potts stood in the front doorway and talked to the crowd whilst his other police officers got everyone else in the house away down a back street.

When Potts told the crowd of their discoveries a huge cheer went up.

The next afternoon Fish told the police where the rest of the clothing was and that he wanted to make an confession “so that the innocent would not suffer.”

Fish’s Confession

I told Constable William Parkinson that I burnt part of the clothes, and put the other part under the coal in my shop; and now I wish to say I am guilty of murder.  I further wish to say that I do not want the innocent to suffer . At a few minutes after five o’clock in the evening, I was standing at my shop door, in Moss Street when the deceased child came past. She was going up Moss Street, I asked her to bring me one half–ounce of tobacco from Cox’s shop.  She went and brought it to me.  I asked her to go into my shop.  She did.  I asked her to go upstairs, and she did.  I went up with her.  I tried to abuse her, and she was nearly dead.  I then  cut her throat with a razor.  This was in the front room, near the fire.  I then carried the body downstairs into the shop; cut off her head, arms and legs; wrapped up the body in newspapers, on the floor; wrapped up the legs also in newspapers, and put those parcels into a box in the back kitchen.  The arms and head I put in the fire.  On the Wednesday afternoon I took the parcel containing the legs to Lower Cunliffe; and, at 9 o’clock that night, I took the parcel containing the body to a field at Bastwell, and threw it over the wall.  On Friday afternoon I burnt part of the clothing.
On the Wednesday morning, I took part of the head which was unburnt, and put it up the chimney, in the front bedroom.
I further wish to say that I did it all myself; no other person had anything to do with it.
The foregoing statement has been read over to me, and is correct.  It is my voluntary statement, and , before I made it, I was told that it would be taken down in writing , and given in evidence against me.
(Signed) WILLIAM FISH
Witnesses, Robert Eastwood, Superintendent
William Read, Superintendent
 Joseph Potts, Chief Constable

Fish came to trial at Liverpool Assizes in late July.  Even though Fish had confessed and told the police where to find the rest of Emily's clothes, the Judge, Justice Lindley, instructed that a plea of ‘insanity’ was entered on Fish’s behalf and appointed a lawyer, Mr Blair, to defend him.  After all of the evidence had been heard and summed up by the judge, the jury were asked to consider their verdict.  They didn't even bother to leave the Jury Box but conferred briefly amongst themselves and within a minute the Foreman of the Jury returned a verdict of “GUILTY.”

Fish’s last words, before the Judge passed the death sentence on him were “I never had such a thing in my head when I sent her for the ’bacca.”  William Fish was hanged at Kirkdale Goal on 14th August 1876.  Uniquely for a  nineteenth century murder case, there was no attempt to raise a public petition asking the Home Secretary to show mercy.

The murder of Emily Holland was, in its time a notorious case and raised some interesting issues which still resonate today.  It was the first time that a Bloodhound had been used to help detect evidence of a crime.  Later, in the most infamous crime of the nineteenth century, the Jack the Ripper murders, bloodhounds were used because a policeman remembered their successful use in the Emily Holland case.  The lack of police detectives in Blackburn at the time of the murder is also noteworthy as a very early example of the use of forensic science by the doctors assisting the police.

After his execution some of William Fish’s family history came to light, facts which of course didn't excuse his actions but maybe went some way towards explaining them. William’s mother died when he was three years old and his father then ran away leaving his children to be put into the Workhouse.  One day, whilst playing on the workhouse roof, William fell forty feet and landed on his head. It was astounding that he wasn't killed and he had to have three pieces of bone removed from his skull, which left his head misshapen and probably caused brain damage.

Today, very little survives to remind us of this terrible crime; the murder of a lively, bright and intelligent little girl on her way home after winning a prize at school.  The houses on Moss Street were all demolished in the late 1960's but Emily’s grave survives and can be found in Blackburn Cemetery.

*When researching this story, I found differing addresses for the Holland family, but as I first found out about Emily in a printed book which quoted the address as 110 Moss Street, that's the one I believe.

110 Moss Street - Part 1

I have very happy memories of 110 Moss Street, where my paternal grandparents lived when I was born in 1962.  In fact, they lived there when my Dad was born in 1937.  It was a two up, two down terraced house with no bathroom and an outside toilet, just like thousands of other houses in this Lancashire mill town.  Here they are, my lovely Nanna and Grandad in the front room.  That settee was older than me and was still going strong when I was in my 20's, in fact it came to live in my house for a few years when Grandad replaced it in the 1980's.

 

The back room downstairs was a sitting room/dining room/kitchen and we spent many a happy Sunday afternoon round the table enjoying lovely tea-time treats. I particularly remember tinned salmon and salad followed by fruit cocktail with carnation cream and lots of lovely home made buns.  

Going to the toilet was a bit of an adventure as it was at the bottom of the cobbled back yard.  Grandad would take me there by the light of his torch if it was dark, which in my memory it always seemed to be....and he would wait outside making ghostly noises and telling me to beware of spiders....bless him!!

When my brother and I stayed over, Grandad would carry us up the stairs on his shoulders (one at a time of course) singing to us.  Ah, happy memories indeed.

So you will be as surprised as I was to learn that many years before my family lived there, in 1876 to be precise, lived a little girl called Emily who came to a particularly nasty end.

Come back tomorrow for the story of the murder of seven year old Emily Holland who also once lived at 110 Moss Street.

One 'flu' over the cuckoo's nest!

I think I have a touch of flu.  I tried the £10 note test and failed it... I even increased it to £20 and I still failed.  Perhaps I should explain. Apparently the way to tell if you have flu rather than a cold is to imagine there is a £10 note in the middle of your garden and if you feel well enough to go and get it, you haven't got flu.  Presumably if you are rich you would have to imagine a gold brick or a diamond, but I'm poor and normally I'd be like shit off a shovel for an unclaimed pound coin. So, the question now is - am I duty bound to spread the love (I mean germs) as far as possible or should I remain in my hermit like existence until I am better?  Decisions, decisions.  Just kidding folks, I'll keep it to myself.

It's Nearly Time......

......... For Strictly Come Dancing

Woo Hoo! I can't wait, only three sleeps to go until one of my favourite ever shows starts its 2012 run. The celebrities have been announced, the Glitter Ball polished, Bruce Forsythe has been woken from his nap, the judges have been unpacked from their sparkly boxes, Tess Daly has filled the freezer with frozen dinners for Vernon and the professional dancers are nervously anticipating who they will partner.

The Celebrities

Victoria Pendleton, Louis Smith, Colin Salmon, Denise Van Outen, Kimberly Walsh, Jerry Hall, Dani Harmer, Fern Britton, Johnny Ball, Lisa Riley, Michael Vaughan, Nicky Byrne, Richard Arnold, Sid Owen.

The Professional Dancers

Aliona Vilani, Anton Du Beke, Artem Chigvintsev, Brendan Cole, Erin Boag, Flavia Cacace, James Jordan, Karen Hauer, Kristina Rihanoff, Natalie Lowe, Ola Jordan, Pasha Kovalev, Robin Windsor, Vincent Simone.

The big question now is who will be paired up with who? Will the new girl get a dud for her first season? Will Anton get a another comic turn?

Just for fun I've paired them up myself and we'll see how many I get right!

Karen Hauer - Johnny Ball
Kristina Rihanoff - Sid Owen
Aliona Vilani - Michael Vaughan
Natalie Lowe - Richard Arnold
Erin Boag - Colin Salmon
Ola Jordan - Nicky Byrne
Flavia Cacace - Louis Smith

Anton Du Beke - Fern Britton
Artem Chigvintsev - Victoria Pendleton
Brendan Cole - Denise Van Outen
James Jordan - Jerry Hall
Pasha Kovalev - Kimberly Walsh
Robin Windsor - Lisa Riley
Vincent Simone - Dani Harmer

The celebs I am most looking forward to seeing in action are Louis Smith, Victoria Pendleton, Colin Salmon, Denise Van Outen, Nicky Byrne and Kimberly Walsh.

So, let the countdown begin!

Well done Andy

Look at that smile..... a winning smile if ever there was one.  Andy Murray won his first Grand Slam tournament last night, the US Open.  Unfortunately, I don't have the TV channel that was showing the match, so I alternated between listening to it on Radio 5live and reading a live commentary on t'internet.  All in all, I think I'd rather watch tennis than listen to it but at least I can say I was 'there' when he won.

Freddy

This is Freddy...and his new best friend. Freddy belongs to my very good friend Di. Isn't he gorgeous?

Some of my stand out moments...

Here are some of my favourite moments of the 2012 Olympic Games... in no particular order

The Queen meets James Bond

'The Queen' parachutes into the Opening Ceremony

Mo doing the Bolt and Usain doing the Mobot!

Tom Daley so happy to win Bronze

....and celebrating in the pool.

David Beckham bringing the flame up the Thames

David Rudisha breaking the world record for the 800 m

Mo Farah winning the 10,000m

Mo Farah winning the 5,000m

Nicola Adam's smile

Andy Murray winning Olympic Gold

at Wimbledon

The beautiful Olympic Cauldron

Rowan Atkinson at the Opening Ceremony

Everything in the Veladrome

Show Jumping Gold for Nick Skelton (far left) and team

All the Rowing

To be honest, I've enjoyed every minute of this Olympic Games and I think Great Britain has done themselves proud.  There are many more highlights but this post will be a mile long if I carry on!

Last Minute Gold Rush!

Wow! 29 Gold Medals - What an Olympic games!

Jade Jones

Taekwondo - Women's - 57kg

Ed McKeever

Sailing - 200m Men's Single Kayak

Mo Farah

Track - Men's 5000m

Luke Campbell

Boxing - Men's Bantamweight (56kg)

Anthony Joshua

Boxing - Men's Super Heavyweight (+91kg)

Congratulations Team GB

Synchronised Swimming v Rhythmic Gymnastics

I try...I really do, but I just don't get it.  Maybe it's because they look so stupid with the nose clips and those patently false grins plastered on their faces.  Or maybe it's the fact that half of what's going on is under the water.

Strangely, I don't have the same problem with Rhythmic Gymnastics... I love it. Perhaps it's because Rythmic Gymnastics bears more likeness to Gymnastics than Synchronised swimming does to swimming.

..... and the Gymnasts use props!