Baby 11 weeks

Today Otis has a terrible cold, his first. To many people it would probably be a normal cold but to me it is an evil, evil thing brewed in the steaming pits of hell...

Last night the poor little thing woke up every two hours sneezing and coughing and crying in confusion. It wrenched at my heartstrings and left me crying into my pillow.

The bags are all 'vacuum' packed now. I only wish I had discovered those VacuSac bags before suffering with big bursting suitcases dragged across airports. Pack, zip, twist, vaccum, close valve and et voila! A giant colourful biscuit is ready to go into my suitcase. Except that I have to release them out again as I have realised I packed way more than my weight allowance, and I'm about to check in and pay for my third suitcase online.

It's hard to write these words without a twinge of regret that I'll miss my loved ones and places in the North East of England. My highest achievements so far. My twenty-something memories. How could it have all gone by so fast!

I have a confession; I don't spend much time birding these days. My birding kind of happens on autopilot. Let me explain a little about my birding so you can see how I got here.

My blog about Tommy Cooper of the Cumberland Arms elicited this email from my old friend Cavalier Bess, and memories of another old regular ...

Nearly all organisations will use a contractor at some point, ranging from simple office cleaning or machinery repair up to a major construction project.

However, just because your organisation is outsourcing the work, does not mean it can outsource its legal health and safety duties.

Perhaps I am being alarmist, but it looks like Gordon Brown's promise of British jobs for British workers is coming to haunt him in a very damaging way.

Hundreds of people have been picketing industrial plans, including on Teesside, about the use of foreign labourers as more British workers are more redundant as the recession bites.

And while the Prime Minister has promised jobs for them, events had highlighted how hollow that pledge is. And it is because we are a member of the European Union (EU).

PAUL LORAINE:

It's just too good to be true.

Charles Insomnia. Owen and that cheeky little scamp Barton injured. Given on his way.

And now the icing on the cake: Paul McShane is out of the derby with a hamstring problem. Hallelujah.

PAUL JAMES:

Or maybe not.

I'm not sure I like football anymore.

Please click through to read my new fortnightly column 'For Better, For Worse'. The next one is due to appear in The Journal on Tuesday, February 10.

Baby 10 weeks

People have looked at me in a number of different ways over the years, with despair, frustration, anxiety - and confusion, mainly.

But no-one has ever before looked at me with a smile which spreads from ear to ear and which speaks of incredible joy.