Recently in Arts Category

Perhaps the world can get back to normal now that John Sergeant has bowed out of Strictly Come Dancing, with his dignity just about intact. Will we ever be able to take him seriously as a political journalist again?

What Strictly... has done is re-popularised ballroom dancing, a pastime which had all but died out. Inspired by celebrities - and professionals of course - millions of people now attend regular classes and events across the country.

Do you think someone who takes photographs in a graveyard - and I mean lots of photographs - is a bit strange? Because that's what I do. I take photographs in other places too of course, so strictly speaking, I'm only strange on a part-time basis. I also have to say, in my defence, that the graveyard in question is the most photogenic graveyard in the North East and that it has fans (can graveyards really have fans?) pretty much all over the world.

The graveyard I'm referring to is Jesmond Old Cemetery in Newcastle and for those who aren't sure which of Jesmond's cemeteries it is, it's the one that is sandwiched between Jesmond Road and Sandyford Road. If you've never been, give yourself a treat and have a visit...you'll fall in love with the place instantly, I promise.

The highlight of a busy week for me was meeting US landscape artist Stephen Hannock on Wednesday at the Laing Art Gallery.

The idea might have been for a chat about his painting of the River Tyne, commissioned by Sting - except it wasn't there, delayed somewhere en route north apparently.