This is Alexander Millar’s lifesize sculpture of a working man, which echoes Gormley’s Angel of the North and the artist’s own previous career as a window cleaner. It’s currently to be found in the bus station at the Metrocentre.

The Costa Concordia disaster seems like it happened years ago to me – but it happened only back in January. Vanity Fair’s article on the sinking was the best I read, and parts of it still send a shiver down my spine today! It’s definitely worth a read.

These pouches of soup have been in the bottom of my bag for well over a year now. I bought them after a run of days when, for various reasons, I didn’t manage to get out of the office for lunch. Since I’ve bought them, it’s only happened once, which is why I still have most of them in the bottom of my bag…!

On the basis of this (admittedly rather limited) evidence, I conclude that the purchase of dried Campbell’s soup guarantees you time to eat lunch. Buy some today!

This book is a terrible match for me. It’s squarely and unashamedly aimed at middle aged women, it’s full of stereotyped characters and irritating text-speak, has a plot that’s largely predictable from the blurb alone, and a “twist” that’s both obvious and pointless.

And yet… I found it really quite endearing. It’s a novel of the “mental chewing gum” variety – no thought required – but it’s a pretty good example of that kind of book. It has genuine humour and genuine warmth. While the characters were stereotypical, dull, and at times a little irritating, I did begin to care about where their stories would lead: particularly Oscar, whose part steals the show.

The format’s a sort of modern take on the epistolary form, with different characters narrating each chapter in the first-person, as though they are writing in their own diary. This works especially well when the different characters narrate the same incident from their own differing points of view – a device which is frequently played for laughs in this book, with great success. Others have become irritated by the writing styles, and particularly the text-speak style used for Dora, but I think it all fits together quite well.

A Tiny Bit Marvellous was a quick and easy read, and I enjoyed it despite myself. It isn’t by any means a book that I’d return to for a second reading, but I’d definitely consider reading Dawn French’s next novel.

A Tiny Bit Marvellous is available now from amazon.co.uk in paperback and on Kindle.

Sometimes, I think I’m a bit critical of M&S… it’s only because I care. So, today, I thought I’d feature something they’ve done that I really like!

This massive “home” sign is really striking, distinctive, navigationally useful, helps break up the vast store into small attractive areas, displays products well, and is totally on-brand in terms of font and colour scheme. More of this, please!

It seems that Italy’s former Prime Minister has been freshly ground and bagged by Taylors of Harrogate… unless I’ve misunderstood?

This is an extra photo to make up for missing a day earlier in the week.

Wendy and I often struggle to be in when deliveries arrive, and also to get to the Post Office to pick things up during working hours. So we’ve started using ByBox, and having parcels delivered to a nearby locker. It is fantastically convenient.

Tonight, we swung by to pick up a parcel delivered yesterday morning. It’s hard to think of any other delivery system that would allow us to collect parcels at 7pm on a Sunday!

ByBox tell me that they will soon enable posting of boxes from the lockers too, which will be brilliant!

I really enjoy a Bassetti liquorice stick now and again – my nan used to buy them for me as a child. I don’t see them in shops as much these days as I used to, but occasionally like to treat myself when I do!

Wendy painted these flowers for my parents a few years ago, and the painting now hangs on the wall in their house. I possess absolutely no artistic skill, so I’d not have a hope of producing anything even remotely similar…!

I know I’m easily amused, but the little Christmas hat on the Tesco logo did make me smile… it’s quite cute!