As Played By Simon Callow in 'The Unquiet Dead'

The Twenty-Fifth of May Two Thousand and Eleven. Wednesday.

I thought it might be quirky to write out the date on each entry in long hand like that but after the first one I saw that the blog automatically puts the date at the top anyhoo so it does look a bit dumb. But it does set an interesting tension between products of the mechanism and the will so I might continue to do it nevertheless.

Let's be honest, I'm as surprised as you are to see me here 2 days on the trot so that might not even be an issue in the long run.

Oh my waistline. I think the best bakery chain in North Yorkshire (my adopted home and location for (in this order) spawning no1, nuptials, spawning no2 and imminent divorce) is Thomas the Baker. Two reasons: their Veg-able pasties (and 'Yorkshire Pizza' now I think about it - three! Three reasons! (tips hat in direction of Cardinal Biggles and the rest of the Inquisition) and the fact that their name is a bit like Tom Baker - a little-known actor who was in Life and Loves of a She-Devil and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. And the Dungeons and Dragons film (pronounced 'fillum') (which is rubbish - even though I haven't seen it - and is not to be confused with the cartoon - which is awesome (and I mean that in a completely non-arch, unironic way - some of it is simply brilliant, and thus it becomes my Second Telly Recommendation). My plan today was to go to Thomas for a pasty for my brunch (Vin's working day: start at 6, finish at 2, feed at 10) but I had forgotten that they had closed for refurbishment. So off to Hardies (other Scarborough baker) for an egg mayonnaise barm (and yes, a mushroom quiche thing as well - there's a reason the opening of this paragraph reads what it does). All well and good (although the bread was a little dry) but here is the point of this ramble.

On my way back to work I passed Pizza Hut and there was a blue plaque on the outside that said that Charles Dickens had performed readings there.

I'll say that again.

Charles Dickens performed readings in Pizza Hut, Scarborough.

I think that's what it said. I meant to take a photo to post here (I will do - somebody remind me if I don't) but I forgot and picked up 8 small bottles of Irn Bru from Poundland instead.

I told this to my homeboy, Jon Eves (yo, Jeves! Respec', blood) (the thing about Dickens and pizza, not the Irn Bru bit. Come on!) and he suggested that his visit was probably where the great author received the inspiration to write 'please sir - I want some more.' (Do they still do free refills on pop there?)

Hey, I've just realised! Not just Dickens, but 'Thomas' and 'Hardies'. Cool.

More soonliest