Another day passes, another day wasted. Reports that Shearer was due in London on Friday to meet powers that be were unfounded. So again we wait. Part of me does wonder why would Shearer need to be there if it was simply a shaking of the hands, and handing SJP's front door keys over to whoever is crackers enough to take the reigns of this shambles.

Should I really be disappointed that he isn't going to be there? To be honest, I really don't know. Not knowing what is going on is driving me insane. The promise that the club would be far more open to the fans has been shown to be what we all suspected. Lies.

Hay fever has hit the Smiles household and hit it hard.

AFTER 12 months in the planning and a sum I don't wish to calculate, it's finally here.
In just 4 days time I will no longer be an hysterical bride-to-be. I will be an even more hysterical wife.

Despite the wet weather this month reports coming from Coquet Island suggest are suggesting a bumper breeding season for Northumberland's rarest breeding tern the Roseate Tern.
A team of ringers from the BTO and RSPB have been ringing this year's chicks and as of yesterday were reporting preliminary numbers at 82 pairs breeding with 75 chicks ringed so far this year.
For one particular birder and BTO worker Tom Cadwallender, this years chicks have been extra special. Tom has been ringing Roseate Terns on Coquet Island since 1991 and with the chicks ringed this year his total ringed has surpassed one thousand. That's a fantastic achievement and contribution to the improvement in long term numbers of one of the regions rarest breeding birds.

What a surprise. Just days before details of the outside earnings of Alan Milburn have to officially released, along with other MPs, the Darlington MP announces he is quitting at the next election.

Tough given that he has FIVE other jobs - raking in I reckon hundreds of thousands of pounds on top his MP salary.

I wrote about this in the Sunday Sun a while back.

Number Two Son watched the installation of Mr John Bercow as Speaker of the House of Commons with me on BBC Parliament. I explained that we were watching a historical moment: I told him how the old Speaker was the first one to have been forced out and resigned for hundreds of years; and that this was the first time the Speaker had been elected in a secret ballot.

"And" I said "Mr Bercow is the first Jewish person ever to be Speaker of the House of Commons."

"Jewish" said Number Two with interest and curiosity "Is he beige?"

IS your home just as you want it? Is it a house which could be featured in one of those glossy magazines showing perfect properties that provide inspiration and aspiration. You know the ones I mean - houses which most of us can't imagine anyone, let alone a boisterous family, living in.

Chateau Overbury isn't like that. We try. Yet the paint on the skirting boards chips the minute they're painted, the carpets mark the moment they're cleaned and everything seems to come with a scattering of dog hairs. It has what some would call a "lived in" look.

An "acceptable" solution to unions and Labour MPs to the planned Royal Mail sell-off must be found, according to Chief Whip Nick Brown.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has been insistent that part-privatisation of the Royal Mail will go ahead, although warnings about "economic uncertainty" have been sounded - a get out of jail card maybe?

Lord Mandelson said the Postal Services Bill mirrored recommendations made by an independent review, sorting out the "huge" pension deficit and reforming regulation of the Royal Mail.

And a "strategic minority partner" would bring in capital, management expertise and confidence, according to the Business Secretary.

Despite all the major arrangements being signed and sealed, the fine tuning of our forthcoming nuptials has been the cause of many a sleepless night. For me that is....

Bruce Forsyth got a £99 bottle of Krug Grande Cuvee Champagne from the BBC to mark his 80th birthday.

A case of "Nice to see you, to see you - Nice! " All of this is in BBC expenses released today under freedom of information rules.

And like MPs expenses, they will anger people with the TV licence costing around £180. The game will now be to go through the Beeb's top bosses expense claims and see if it all stacks up.

I have found a few already and that includes £260.86 claimed for "business entertainment - external" to "celebrate succesful [sic] Apprentice series" on 12/06/08. Another is for team drinks and nibbles coming in at £244.60!

Ashley Highfield, the BBC's most senior technology executive, claimed for a Sky subscription for £52 on 30/01/04.

The explanation was that the BBC decided it should pay for a variety of subscriptions to interactive and broadband services in his role. Critically, it was where they would "not in normal circumstances been taken for personal use". Cick here and go to page three of the pdf to see the claim.

BBC director general Mark Thompson claimed for his family holiday being cut short to deal with the "issue" relating to the Russell Brand show. It as apparently agreed in advance.

The total was £2,236.90 for Mr Thompson's family flying back, with the claim incurred on 30/10/2008. Two days of car hire not used costing £55 was also claimed. Click here for the info.

Another claim was a £231.55 dinner to discuss Jeremy Paxman's contract submitted by top BBC boss Jana Bennett on 06/07/2004.