Yesterday, the Daily Telegraph carried a story about Northern Rock buying the Newcastle Falcons rugby ground just before its financial troubles started last year.

As often happens with broadcast media, the BBC read the story and followed it up on their breakfast programme and then later used it as its lead story on Look North.

There is nothing particularly unusual about that, but for the fact that the purchase of the Falcons ground was reported pretty widely in the North East press last December.

It was TyneBridge’s Morris' Annual General Meeting last night when officers of the team make their reports and are 'elected', dancers commit to bookings and various bits of team business and affairs are discussed (sadly not those sort of affairs).

ID cards are, or have been very much in the news. Some will be watching the rather good BBC serial 'The Last Enemy' currently being screened on Sunday evenings. The producers clearly do not like (a) the government (b) the survelliance society and (c) ID cards. I

I'm with them on all three; as a right-leaning libertarian, I deprecate the continued efforts by our increasingly centralist and authoritarian government to further undermine the rule of law and further curb the liberties of its citizens.

The burden of my argument is simply this. Until now the British police and essentially citizens in unform whose powers are not greatly extended beyond those available to civilians. They have been seen, rightly and to their great credit, as servants of the community. With ID cards that changes; we would not have the right to ask each other to produce but the police would, thus the relationship with the rest of us citizens shifts - the police become agents of the state and that is altogether sinister.

There are many things which keep me awake.

Losing monkey; the thought that baby rice may be reintroduced into my daily routine; having to go back where I came from (I don’t mind telling you I’ve put on a few pounds what with Christmas and everything); the possibility that Martha won't marry me one day... the list goes on.

Well, my piece on Berwick seems to have provoked some stir and, Jim Silvey if you had any notion of history, you might not be so keen for the Scots to take on the Northumbrians, you tried many times in the past and got hammered every time - nothing personal of course.

And you've got the Barnett Formula which must count as a win in anybody's book. Happy to cross broadswords at any time. Tell me did we English wave out hankies at the Battle of the Standard (1138); Halidon Hill (1333), Neville's Cross (1346), Homildon (1402), Flodden (1513), Solway Moss (1542) or Pinkie (1547)?

Now I'd ask to direct your attention to the pernicious practice of dumbing-down in museums. A friend pointed out to me that, in Bolton Museum, curators are now described as 'Collection Rationalisation Officers' - PC, as might be expected, rules.

There is a view amongst liberals that museum visitors, like other non-apparachiks, are to be patronised and not-over-taxed (in a word, contempt). This is intended or stated as being intended to promote diversity, a much abused word, which our masters have transformed from lightness to a leaden curse.

Last weekend I participated in the 9-Ball event in Nottingham that featured World Champion Daryl Peach, and U.K. number 1 Imran Majid.

My suggestion for a dictionary that can provide a translation to those words you only ever see in newspapers has proved highly popular.

Thanks for all the suggestions that have come in so far - it's clear that many journalists (and I've probably been as guilty as any in my time) are often lapsing into lazy cliches that have little or no relation to the way people speak in real life.

Here are some of the best (though I'm open to any more suggestions - keep 'em coming!):

At this time of year, it's pretty difficult to find much local produce in terms of fruit and veg. Although the snowdrops are out and the daffs on their way, it'll still be a while before the rhubarb is ready and we can look forward to our summer crops. Frustrating though it is, this is when our preparations for the store cupboard come in handy.

If you’re one of those people who can’t stand the thought of traipsing around the shops to find that perfect outfit or (in my Mum’s case) you’re looking for a few pieces to brighten up your wardrobe with little effort, look no further than the personal shopping service at Debenhams.

A couple of years ago my Dad came up with a gem of an idea for a present for Mum at Christmas – pennies to spend on pretty things and someone to help her do it. As with most Mums, every time mine went shopping to get something for herself, she’d inevitably come back with everything but. This was the perfect present to ensure that every penny spent was on her.

Well this is an enormous step into the unknown for me. To be asked to create a blog is indeed flattering and I have an ego like anybody else.

But's that's the easy bit; now to perform.

So following on the best advice that I have ever received; namely "Keep it Simple", I thought I should introduce who I am and what I do.