Mr Burns & His Incredible Knitted Beard

There is clearly a lesson to be learned from cutting a picture from the Sunday Times 'Style' guide and sending it to my Mother.

Up until today, the only beard in our house belonged to Hobbs and graced his fuzzy, little face in a Will Shakespeare way.

Now, thanks to Mother and her knitting skills, I have to live with this:

Words cannot even begin to describe my fear...

Computers - Crash or Credit

I have to apologise for the lack of any update over the last few weeks - basically it's because I've been mourning my beloved Mac.

For months it had been crashing, stalling, refusing to start up and generally displaying worrying signs that all was not well in its little world.

Admittedly, it was so old in computer years that I was expecting a telegram to arrive any day from the Queen and Steve Jobs, but after one final - and rather monumental - hissy last weekend, it shut itself down and has remained sulking ever since. No amount of button pressing, cajoling, or re-installing will raise it from its cyber slumber.

There was nothing for it but to weigh up the cost implications or repair against renew. The latter won and I'm typing this on my teeny, tiny, new net book.

I hate to admit this while my Mac sits in the study - its keyboard still warm from my touch - but I love this dinky, little delight that responds to my every need and fits happily in my handbag.

The only downside? I had to buy it on my credit card. I know, don't say it...

Broadcasts & Barbours

It seems my stint on Radio 4 didn't have too many listeners screaming and running for the hills, so I was invited the following week to talk all things debt and shopping for BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio York and Radio 5 Live.

While we all know that I love the airwaves - I must do, I had to get up at 6am to do one of the interviews - I really do hope that anyone in debt or with a shopping addiction gets something from these interviews; something that might just help them come to terms with what seems like an impossible situation.

If I'm perfectly honest, doing the interviews even helped me. For a couple of weeks I've been strolling past the window of a particularly lovely shop during my lunch hour - and there, waving to me from behind the safety of the glass, is a delicious grape, quilted Barbour.

Blissful Barbour

Just before I did the interviews, I had convinced myself that I could afford it and definitely needed it, but after lecturing to all who would listen about shopping only with cash, buying nothing but necessities, leaving your credit card at home (preferably sulking in a drawer because it hasn't been used in ages), I realised that I had to practise what I preached.

So, the delicious Barbour remains in the window, my credit card remains sulking in the drawer and I can sleep with a clear conscience.

Jenni, Gill & Me

I've always thought the programmers at BBC Radio 4 had incredibly good taste - which was why I was rather surprised to receive a call from them, asking me to take part in Woman's Hour on Friday.

The subject was women facing bankruptcy and I was on with Gill Hankie MBE (Director of the Bankruptcy Advisory Service) to discuss the implications of insolvency and how it's sometimes being portrayed as a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card by certain publications.

A very serious subject, but I had a super time and feel more than a little honoured to have shared the airwaves with Jenni Murray and Gill.

My only horror moment was on arrival at the studio; realising that I really was the only one there and had to operate the whole set up myself. Having worked in radio, it wasn't too daunting a prospect, until I read the instruction sheet I'd been left.

Number one instruction was: Switch on the 'cooker switch' before entering the studio.

We all know how I am with cooking! I crossed my fingers, flicked the switch, went into the studio and waited for the inevitable smell of burning - which usually accompanies that action - to start...

** You can hear the podcast by clicking the BBC Radio 4 link in the first paragraph

Hot & Heavenly Hertfordshire

When it’s raining in Scotland and you haven’t booked anywhere to jet off to on your holidays, your dog is depressed from being permanently damp and you’ve forgotten what your knees look like because it’s been so long since you’ve worn shorts, there is only one thing to do...

Gather up the damp dog, the unworn shorts and anything else that vaguely reminds you of summer, dump the whole lot in the car and head down the M1.

Well, that’s what we did the other week and on arrival in Hertfordshire (after nine hours and one visit from the AA man) we were rewarded with blissful sunshine and temperatures that seemed almost tropical to us.

There’s no doubt that a holiday and clear, blue skies are good for the soul and it’s spurred us on to think about the future. So much, in fact, that we’ve even been writing out our five year plans.

Here’s mine -

Win the lottery and move to Harpenden.