This week I spotted two trailers for films and both of them are about zombies, but they each take a completely different form. The first, World War Z, plunges Brad Pitt in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The trailer looks okay but it doesn't really give a hint to any kind of actual story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcwTxRuq-uk World War Z There was also these tweets from Molly Wood: I haven't read …

My love of all things bunker/fort/island led me to googling everything I could find about Spitbank Fort. Aside from the fact that it's not the greatest name ever, it's also a round concrete fort situated off the South Coast that's been turned into a hotel. It's amazing! Photo credit: Anthony Abbott As the website states: "Spitbank Fort is the most exclusive venue on the south coast, and is its own …

I've wanted to go to a ploughing match for ages - ever since I heard the antics from one on The Archers. I like country and farming stuff, but I couldn't quite imagine how a ploughing match would work. My parents have been keeping an eye on when and where ploughing matches have been taking place, and finally all the stars were aligned (read: I got myself organised) so that …

This week's bake was chocolate chip cookies that I have been dreaming of making for a long while, since the middle of the actual Bake Off marathon. I sourced a recipe and, once again, was happy that my ingredients cupboard featured everything I needed except chocolate chips. I decided to buy both chocolate chips and chocolate chunks and mix things up a bit. Oh my god, they were so good! …

There's a new trailer for the sequel to Despicable Me. If you did not enjoy the last one that included some incredible/awful singing, don't worry. This one only has a few seconds of much more tolerable minion singing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlbnGSMJQbQ Despicable Me 2 I am very concerned about the final clip though - with the minion opening the door to what appears to be a friendly face, only to be attacked. …

This month has been all about Ed and Emma and their lack of funds. They've both been trying to find extra work but it is not easy to find. Expensive things keep happening - broken cars, trips to London, vet bills - and there's only so many times Susan and Neil can reach into their pockets. What this is really building up to is yet another battle between Ed and …

I recently spruced up my Life List page, adding some handy links to the yearly reviews at the top, and then splitting the to-do items into tenuous categories - things to do, things to see, that kind of thing. It's surprising to me to realise that I'm heading rapidly towards the end of a third year of life-listing, but then again, I've tried all sorts of crazy things in that …

One of the appeals of writing books exclusively in a digital format is that if you need to update your book, it should be simple. Whether it be for a mistake, or additional information, or simply a bigger and better second edition, ebooks are perfect for updating. Rather than printing a huge batch of paperback or hard copy books then realising you've made an error, it should be easy to …

I love projects and creative thinking that solve problems - even if they are problems that I don't always relate to or understand. This is one of those: encouraging people to exercise when they are using the computer too much. Can there possibly be such a thing?? The video explains it all, with tons of information here. https://vimeo.com/47452332 I like the concept, I think being instructed you should do something …

The Great British Bake Off came to its conclusion a week or so ago (not that you'd know it as their are masterclasses and "revisited" episodes galore!) and I was sure that I was going to take a break from baking too. Except, then Mr C requested jam tarts and I had a look at a recipe and compared to some of the things I've been doing, it seemed the …

On the very day that my Trailer Tuesday post was due to go up last week, the new Iron Man 3 trailer was released. I meant to go back and update that post, but... I didn't. And then I thought, actually, this deserves a post of its own, even if it is a week late. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CzoSeClcw0 Iron Man 3 Firstly, it looks incredible. That bit with the house falling down …

Quite a while back now, Mr C and I ventured towards Manchester to see what all the fuss was about with these new television studios at Media City. The move away from London towards a new settlement a little further north is full of political interest, but that's not why we wanted to go. Just to see all that broadcasting power contained within some beautiful buildings is like heaven for …

How has it been four weeks since I last wrote an update? Very odd. I managed to complete October's 10k. If you'll remember, I was hoping to improve on this: Jun – 1:34:31 Jul – 1:36:03 Aug – 1:30:55 Sep – 1:34:31 And I managed this: So, not a personal best, but close enough. In other personal best news, my thirty minute runs have topped out at 3.63km, which I …

Almost as much as its adventures in space, the final mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour - to get through the streets of Los Angeles to its final resting place - has captured the minds of a global audience. There's so much about this that still manages to boggle my mind, and now we have some brilliant time lapse videos to see the movement in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdqZyACCYZc This second video …

When the new and exciting Kindle Paperwhite was announced, I was keen to try it out. There's not much wrong with my current Kindle, but there are a few niggles that the Paperwhite is meant to solve, and they would make me ebook reading experience even more brilliant than it already is. We ordered as soon as we could, and the Paperwhite arrived on the doorstep yesterday. With just 24 …

Sky have created an advert of sorts, highlighting that never-ending animation series The Simpsons. I haven't seen any episodes for the longest time, and quite a lot of people think it should have ended by now. Regardless, the title sequence is iconic, and here it is done with real life actors! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmC4jbZmYfU The only bit that doesn't quite work for me is Marge's hair. I get that they're not going …

For each and every episode of this year's Great British Bake Off competition, I attempted to bake my own version of something seen in the show - either a direct recipe from the show, or a recipe that was inspired by what I'd just watched. My previous baking experience includes a loaf of bread here and there, the occasional Victoria sponge, mince pies and simple bits, plus one iced cake …

It's been said over and over, but Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is plain odd. I haven't read the books in a long while, so I'm not really able to pass judgement fully, but I know that deep down it doesn't seem right. There's a new trailer which puts a different spin on things, because it looks like a really good film! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-oxhxD32MM Jack Reacher If I suspend the disbelief …

If you've got a smartphone that does all manner of exciting things, you'll know that sometimes you run out of battery before the day is out. When I switched to the iPhone, I was pleasantly surprised by the battery power in the device - it would get me comfortably through the day, and just need a charge up at night. If I was to use it as a camera, though, …

The final of the Bake Off was so good! The balance of baking power kept swinging between the contestants, so that it really was a complete unknown when the winner was announced. Well done John! Brilliant job. Meanwhile, I was left with a decision to make. I decided, as this is the last "Inspired by..." post, I'd go for it and try my hand at the technical challenge. Signature dish …

The final episode of the recent half-series of Doctor Who episodes ended with Amy and Rory together but stuck in time. I wasn't particularly happy with the episode as a whole, and there are plenty of plot points that still confuse me. Overall, though, it seems like a fitting end for the pair, and we're now looking ahead to the introduction (re-introduction?) of the new companion at Christmas. Except, there …

Every now and then, I take a quick look at what is available in the novelty mug market. I don't know why I started doing this, as I didn't really indulge in hot drinks when I posted the first one. Since then, I do boil the kettle more often, but I haven't actually bought any of these novelties as yet. I wonder if there's one I might purchase in this …

We've seen the music industry attempt the occasional "pay what you feel" initiative, where a song or an album is released to the public, and they get to choose how much to pay for the item - giving what they think it's worth. These haven't revolutionised the industry, but it does cause a stir and can be a good marketing technique to draw attention to yourselves. Now, the concept has …

I'm sure it didn't escape your notice that on Sunday Felix Baumgartner jumped from a capsule at the edge of space to freefall back down to earth, and then landed on his feet successfully. What did you do with your weekend? It was an absolutely inspirational thing to watch. I'll admit I didn't sit through the build up, and was a bit of a fairweather viewer - tuning in when …

I've fallen behind in documenting my exciting adventures out and about, although this first one I have to discuss isn't all that exciting. It was a while back, when the days were still sunny, and I decided to get out of the house, go for a walk and make the most of the fresh air. I wasn't really sure where to go, but I had a look online and found …

The Bake Off is getting pretty difficult now, with the semi-final last week and the final coming up. I was pretty confident that I wouldn't be able to make anything they did in the show itself, but I was keen to be inspired. They baked the following: Signature dish - Petit-Fours Technical challenge - Fraisier cake Showstopper - Choux pastry gateaux I figured that chocolate eclairs would be a good …

On 13th October 2002, I was cowering in a doorway from the rain, waiting for the arrival of someone the world now knows as Mr C. It was our first date, I'd bought new boots that I was convinced made me walk like a duck, and my friend was sacrificing herself at the garden gate, getting soaked on my behalf to look out for him. Thankfully, as the evening progressed …

The month of September was filled with a nightly music extravaganza courtesy of the iTunes Festival 2012. Each evening, one or more warm-up acts introduced a bigger name, and it was all streamed live on the internet, available as a catchup replay afterwards as well. Mr C watched all of them, I saw some of the main ones, and these are some of my findings. 1) There were a variety …

To celebrate their 80th anniversary this year, Lego created a 15 minute animation recounting the history of the company. I missed this when it first came out in August, and have just got round to watching it now. You have to keep in mind that it's one massive sales pitch, and the voiceover can get a bit patronising at times, but even so, there's a lot in here that I …

Over the weekend, the fabulous Stuart asked if I would be reading the new release from JK Rowling. The answer is quite simply that yes, I do think I'll read it but no, I haven't yet. I'm a big Harry Potter fan, but somehow this new book from JK Rowling doesn't worry me in the way other "next projects" for beloved people do. It feels as though HP is such …

We've seen Moneyball and "if you build it they will come" and when I saw the trailer for 42, I really wanted to see it! I don't think I've ever seen a baseball game but I really like movies about it. I should probably see about watching some of the actual action, but in the meantime, this looks good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9RHqdZDCF0 42 Now, if you tell me that there's a film …

I know I am very far behind to have only just discovered Temple Run. In fact, I saw the Brave tie-in before I saw the actual game, and because I haven't seen Brave, I instantly dismissed it. I can't remember why I suddenly decided to download it, but I was reading through some news feeds and they talked of other games of a similar nature to Temple Run. I opted …

I was looking forward to this biscuit episode of the Bake Off, but actually when we got to it, it wasn't all that biscuity after all. The options this week were as follows: Signature dish - Crackers Technical challenge - Chocolate teacakes Showstopper - Gingerbread construction I'm not really a massive fan of gingerbread - I don't mind the occasional biscuit or nibble but an entire house was a bit …

A while back, my parents introduced me to the Mimosa pudica, otherwise known as the Sensitive Plant (or my new favourite name Touch-Me-Not). It's a cute little plant that looks perfectly normal until you touch it, when it all curls up on itself like a hedgehog. I thought it was quite cruel to prod and poke at it, but it recovers in about ten minutes and then it's hard to …

After the revelations of last month, Mike and Vicky, well, they're not talking at all. They start to tell people about the baby, so they get advice from all quarters. Then they do talk - a full on two-hander episode that was really good. Mike is still worried, but he's on board. For now. Elsewhere, Freddie breaks his collar bone because Elizabeth is ridiculous and can't say no to her …

It's been a while since I tried a new tea, I've been content drinking my Clipper Ginger and Twinings Nettle. However, that didn't stop me buying new and exciting teas, to the point where I had four boxes sitting and waiting to be tasted. I finally got round to trying a new one, another Clipper, this time berry flavoured. Clipper Raspberry Leaf £1.69 for 20 teabags A refreshing, distinctive and …

BBC Four started airing Lilyhammer a week or so ago, and I tuned in to the first episode to see what it was like. Lilyhammer is exciting because it's a Netflix original - the DVD and streaming company put their hands in their pockets and paid for this show to be created. It's a bold new move from them, rather than sitting back and waiting for deals to be done …

After the high of new running shoes wore off (only took a week this time, boo!) I wanted a bit of a boost, so I tried out another Zombies Run mission - it's always good to try something different. I noticed that the people behind Zombies Run are creating a spin off version based on the Couch 2 5K thing. I'm jealous! Can I go back to the beginning and …

"I hate endings," the Doctor declares, as he sits having a nice picnic with his two companions in New York City. Yet, we all know that this story is going to come to an end, and it's going to do so in the next 40 minutes. The foreboding increases by the minute, as we head towards what was proclaimed as a heart-breaking farewell. I didn't feel at all right after …

I've tried to stick to recipes from the actual Bake Off for the last couple of weeks, but this time I moved slightly away from it. There were a few variations on the Chelsea bun, and I very quickly realised that I wanted to do the bun, but in it's rather more normal form. It's worth noting what the other challenges were for this week: Signature dish - Regional buns …

The task this episode had to fulfil was clearly set out from the start. Rory and Amy have been showing increased dissatisfaction with their roles as companions, and the gap between them and the Doctor has been growing week on week. One or other of them usually makes the point of saying they miss running for their lives, but we don't quite believe them. So, this week, we had to …

An admission before we begin - this week I was forced to pick the recipe before I'd actually seen the Bake Off show. My viewing was delayed until Thursday, and I had to order my online shopping before that, so I viewed the episode recipe options on the BBC's site and decided on the one that looked the best. The options this time: Signature dish - Sponge puddings Technical challenge …

A few years ago, I tried out the supermarket online delivery service, because I love the "getting lots of lovely new food" part of grocery shopping but dislike the actual mechanics of it. Back then, I did it a couple of times and revelled in things being delivered straight to my door, but I soon stopped. There were a few reasons, including their odd policy of wrapping single items in …

On Monday night, Mr C and I rocked up to Birmingham's National Indoor Arena to watch Michael McIntyre do his thing. It's been on my Life List for a while to watch a comedian live, because it turns out I have never done that before. I don't remember why it was Mr McIntyre that received the privilege of being my first comedian (there may have been alcohol involved when purchasing …

This week, we discovered the genius that is Wreck-It Ralph. The blurb says: "A video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfil his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives." The trailer says it's going to be awesome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btB8tb8fLYM Wreck-It Ralph I only know a few of the characters in there, but there's bound to be a lot of …

With the iTunes Festival ongoing (and irritating in their only putting up some of the replays and not all), Mr C and I have been having more discussions about music than normal. It's always good fun when we talk music because we have slightly different music eras, very different music tastes, and what turns out to be different requirements when it comes to background noise. As people that do creative …

After the last update, I did go out and purchase some new shoes. They're in a similar fashion to my old ones - white and Nike - but they're also quite awesome. They have purple insides and purple laces! How can they be anything but great? Instantly, I wore them and was back on form... if you can call what I do any kind of form. I completed another 10k, …

More than ever, this third episode of the truncated series seven was one of those mini-films that Steven Moffat desired. As he has previously said: When we had the pitch meetings for the various stories, I would say ‘Tell me the movie poster. Tell me the title, what’s on the poster and what’s the log-line… Let’s have a blockbuster every single week, no two-parters, every single week is going to …

After last week, wherein I wasn't sure I liked anything I'd seen on screen, I knew this would be a much easier week. Mr C is a fan of pastry, and there was bound to be something we liked. The options this time: Signature dish - Wellington Technical challenge - Hand-raised pie Showstopper - American sweet pie I was convinced it was going to be a Wellington on my to-do …

I started this crazy Film Watch experiment way back in April 2009 - watching, noting and blogging each film that I watched in an attempt to remember what was good, and not so good. Along the way, it turned into a Life List thing, to watch 500 films. At first the goal seemed a million miles away, but gradually it has seemed more doable, and now I am halfway through! …