Steve and Lucy popped in last night, this time they didn’t want feeding – they had brought me a present. New Laces for my trainers!

Yes, OK – so I get excited when I get a present. I was really pleased with them and it was lovely that they'd thought of me.

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McDonalds have a promotion going on at the moment around our way. The free newspaper contained a booklet with vouchers in. Three of the booklets turned up on my desk yesterday; apparently everyone had thought of Craig and myself when they received them. I wasn’t sure whether to feel flattered or insulted by that. We don’t have that many McDonald lunches; only about two a month. That’s not excessive.

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AND:

It snowed. That's right, IT SNOWED. A good 4 inches too. Youngest said it started at 3.00 a.m. and half an hour later when he woke me up there was enough for a snowball fight. I don’t think anyone saw us, it was dark after all and it's not as if a lot of people are around at that time in the morning. Himself moaned that we were just like a couple of kids at Christmas and didn’t we think it was time we grew up? He’d been a sleep until we put the lights on. Miserable old sod. What did he expect? – it was snowing.

Mind you, I don’t remember sledging being so dangerous. The kids around here are kamikaze pilots and they take no hostages – if you’re at the bottom of the hill you’re fair game. It’s survival of the fittest; hence I’m now covered in bruises and have renewed my childhood acquaintance with the bramble brushes.

I gave up in the end; one broken shoulder in the family is enough and went for a walk with the camera. It's probably a good job I did because I'm sure it's trying to rain now.