Haircut, TV, Really Interesting Weekend...

Where's the weekend gone?!? We spent some of it in front of the telly and some of it out and about in Blackpool. But I'm sure it shouldn't be over yet! Yet here we are, Sunday night!

Well no, this wasn't on tonight but I just got round to sizing and saving this photo. David took it off his TV back in August when we played at the first match at Morecambe FC's new ground. Not only did we make BBC1 but this is Sky Sports 4, who had the good taste to zoom right in on me...

I went to the barber to get a haircut. I was sure I must have mentioned them lots of times, but no, it's only once apparently, way back in June 2007. I must be missing out, because every time I go the conversation is usually bizarre and hilarious.

As soon as I walked through the door this time Paul shouted out, "Hey! I've been on your blog!!!" Then turning to Roy and Lorraine, he said "He's a celebrity!!!"

I don't think I've ever claimed that somehow. Maybe around K-List - the band are (after all) known outside our own region and our appearance once in a restaurant just to eat made one woman so excited she almost dropped her spoon in her soup, so eager was she to nudge her companion to tell him in a loud hissed stage whisper that we were musicians. Her reaction was so OTT I checked my flies... You can't be too careful!

Anyway, I don't somehow think they would generate any more business by claiming me as a customer... Given the state of covering on my head, quite the reverse!

Fran was working yesterday morning and then in the afternoon we took my Mum round the shops but no one seemed to want to buy her...

Today we went down to meet David and Jeannie for breakfast at Quilly's in Blackpool and that passed a pleasant and filling hour. We came home and pulled up the drawbridge.

A nice roast chicken dinner was on the cards. Fran unwrapped it and waved it under my nose saying "Does it smell ok to you?" but I couldn't smell anything wrong - until it was cooked and once the oven door was opened it stank! So we ended up with sausages and mash...

Then we watched in disbelief as Wagner stayed in the X-Factor - is all the booby-rubbing drawing the perv vote out?!? Perhaps he'll go next week. Fran has confiscated my phone... It is entertaining though, trying to work out the song from the lyrics as the tunes he sings don't always give it away!

And we just watched Piers Morgan grilling Cheryl Cole that we recorded last night. Is it really necessary to ask anyone whose husband has cheated on them so publicly "How did you feel?"...

Well, that's my day done. Off to get my beauty sleep!

The X-Factor Final

Well, I'll tell you what - it would have brought a smile to my face!

Kylie joins the X-Factor to sing a duet with Leon, Rhydian does a (slightly more dodgy) duet with Katherine Jenkins and Jason Donovan comes on to ogle the prettier half of Same Difference.

I've been saying for a few weeks that Leon could win (honest!) and on Saturday night he came through, was presented with a copy of his new CD single and now has a crack at the Christmas No.1 slot.

Personally I used to enjoy all the build up to the race for the No.1 Christmas slot and the X-Factor has dominated it for the past few years. However, were any of the final 12 strong enough to have it sewn up? I've doubted it but we'll know in a week!

Maybe if he'd done Agadoo instead of that dreary ballad... Which are the most popular Christmas singles? Slade of course, Wizzard and the multi-starred Feed The World which makes it because of the last sing-a-long bit!

Come on today's singers - be like Santa and get some welly into Christmas!

It's Wednesday, It Must Be Nottingham...

So if I got lost in Leeds then how did I find Nottingham? Easy - it's the home of Robin Hood so just follow the arrows...!

Truth to tell there are two Premier Travel Inns labelled "City Centre" here but I did manage to find it fairly easy (only one U-turn). Apparently the X-Factor tour is here tonight so the waiter told me as I finished my meal so there's a fair number of visitors in Nottingham.

I thought Leona Lewis really deserved to win this year, she has a superb voice and a copy of her single was on my Christmas wish list last December! It will be interesting to see if Simon Cowell gives her a decent bit of publicity - he's not exactly done the last two winners proud... I've heard Shane Ward mentioned only a couple of times since his first single.

So tomorrow is another Change Management Workshop. The Leeds one was a success, though the delegates were unusually quiet - not necessarily a bad thing and perhaps caused by a fair number being from the same institution. I seemed to race through the morning's material but that gave more time to sort them into groups to prepare for the afternoon practical session. The feedback was excellent (thank you!) so as I said - not necessarily a bad thing! Thanks also to Marianne who managed all the installation of the simulation software whilst I delivered the presentation in the morning session. Tomorrow I'm back with Clive, who even now is driving up from Great Yarmouth where he's been breakdancing on the end of the pier in the light of the local lighthouse... dance a bit, the light moves on, take a break, the light comes back, dance a bit, the light moves on...