Wednesday
New thing was the Chequers Pub in Amersham. Lovely place for a summer pint (if there are seats).

Thursday
Drove down to Glastonbury – the LONG way round which proved to work out well in the end as it meant we were near the back of the car park - last in, first out! Arrived to meet Dave who helped us carry the weekend’s supply of beer and he told us about Michael Jackson's death – very sad news. The jokes started appearing very shortly afterwards. Had the long walk, accompanied by ferocious thunder and lightning carrying all the stuff – but it was so nice to get there with the tent already up – thanks Dave! (Did miss my campervan a bit though!). We went for a walk, while my sister made fun of the fact that I hadn’t brought any waterproofs. Swung by the Park and then went to sleep about 3am in the rain, rain, rain.

Friday
I love the first day – not too smelly and such a feeling of anticipation and the wonderful throng of people waking up in their new surroundings. Started the day heading to the Jazz World stage where we caught the end of a band called Speed Caravan. Then off the Avalon stage for three sisters in a band called Baskery who were amazing – rockabilly, blues – great performers and great voices. Then the mighty 3 Daft Monkeys where I danced so hard it took me until the evening to cool down. Hard to dance in jeans and wellies! Then headed to the main stage for the end of the Fleet Foxes, then Annie Mac in the Dance tent-WOW.
Then the main stage for the Specials who were great, then the Ting Tings on the Other Stage before Bloc Party (because I wasn’t entirely sure where my tent was I had to stay with the others, but not as sad as I thought I would be about missing Neil Young. Then we headed to the Green Futures field and then the Stone Circle.

Saturday
I headed for the Green Futures stage for Mark Thomas, but got there early (and he was late, I think!) and saw three topical poets who were brilliant! Mark Thomas, as ever, was absolutely brilliant, talking about how he got his DNA removed from the police database, MPs’ expenses and most pleasingly, how he swam in Douglas Hogg’s moat! After Mark’s set, I headed to the Greenpeace field, but saw Tony Benn en route in the passenger seat of an old Ford Fiesta and he and I waved at each other! After the Greenpeace field, tried to get to Rolf Harris, but it was HEAVING! But I did see Fat Boy Slim with his son who had accidentally tied himself to a fence, and they were trying to wrest him free! Then as it was soooooooo warm in the Jazz World area, I headed back to the Avalon stage to watch Wheeler Street and the Lancashire HotPots, who had a song called “keys, wallet, phone” which is what I always say when I leave the house. And I always say the words in that order. Weird. They then did a song called I Fear Ikea, which was hilarious – I can’t claim I say that when I think about leaving the house (Parklife!). Then had a ginger icecream. (These are all new things, by the way). Then went to ShagriLa which is a strange place in the day time. Then caught up with the others and we saw Dizzee Rascal (I got mine for FREEE!). We then saw Dizzee (or Mr Rascal to me and Jeremy Paxman) leaving the stage the back of a jeep with his entourage. Then saw Spinal Tap which wasn’t great – I actually fell asleep. But then! Kasabian! WOW! These guys rock! And you don’t often say that about people from Leicester. Serge seemed a bit overwhelmed and had a bit of a cry. Then the BOSS! Saw most of his 27hour long set but didn’t recognise any of it! Then bed – what lightweights....

Sunday
Started the day by going to the Glade for another bout of 3 Daft Monkey-itis (after seeing the end of Hybrid who were on before). Brought the rest of the gang, but thought they would shoot off, but they LOVED it! Again, took me ages to cool down and I actually welcomed the drops of rain which fell later in the afternoon! Then saw Tom Jones (which isn’t unusual...), Bat for Lashes, Roots Manuva, Nick Cave, and BLUR. Last saw them live at Glasto in 1998, but this set was even better. Damon seemed terribly moved by the experience. We then went to Shangri La and then back to the tent where it rained and rained so much I was getting wet in my sleeping bag. And then got up a couple of hours to leave, unable to believe that it was already over for another year.....

Monday
New thing was a couple of back streets in London after dropping lil Tra off in London (and then returning to her house with her phone!)

Tuesday - friendly bombs

New thing today was back streets of Slough (urgh) and Stoke Poges (I love driving through here; it makes me realise how poor I am!) on my very circuitous route to work. Had this in my head most of the way and can certainly see where Betjeman was coming from - wonder if the motorists there tried to run him off the road too!

Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!
It isn't fit for humans now,
There isn't grass to graze a cow.
Swarm over, Death!

Monday, Monday - bakerman bakerman, bake me some bread

New shop in Rickmansworth which I decided to nab quickly as my new thing. It’s a bakery called Wenzels. After zipping through two women having a conversation on the very threshold of the shop (Why do people do this!!!!!?), I spied a brown roll for 99p, and patiently waited for the man behind the till to stop rolling his eyes at the customer in front of me who couldn’t decide what flavour crisps to have, and then handed over 109p (9p of that in change – is that strange?) to his colleague who tutted at me and gave me my 9p back plus 1p, as it was far too difficult for her to give me a 10p coin. As they say, a first time for everything. And a last time too.

I dreamed a dream.....

Friday
New stairs in office block – must stop doing this.

Saturday
Much better! New things started with a sangria in a bar called Las Iguanas in Soho before we proceeded to the Queen’s Theatre (which I seem to think I’ve been to before about 15 years ago) to see Les Miserables which was fantastic. What a great performance – great singing, acting, even the set design which transformed from city streets to barricades was intelligent and deft. And all immensely watchable – I worried a bit when I heard it was three hours long, but there was so much action, that it just flew by. We were a little worried that there might be a need for lots of tissues, but fortunately, a very thoughtful man a couple of rows in front of us had pre-empted this and his phone rang during the emotional last scene. And again. And again. So tissue count: 3. Quick pint at a pub that I wasn’t sure whether I’d been to or not – the Duke of Argyll before going to a beautiful Japanese restaurant called Yoshino just round the corner in Piccadilly for some lipsmackingly good sushi. We were in heaven.

Sunday
New thing was meant to be going to see University Challenge being filmed, but instead turned out to be a lovely cycle ride through the back streets of Chesham, towards Chesham Bois (until I realised that this was UPHILL) then through some fields. Lovely – didn’t even mind being stung by stinging nettles! More on Uni Challenge in a couple of weeks’ time!

Thursday

If we take x (1st new thing) and add it to y (2nd new thing) then take the bigger half of z (3rd new thing) we get something worth posting for today .
So let us assume that x=buying a new type of packet of crisp from M&S and that y= running up the stairs to the 3rd floor of our building at work and that z= finding a new short cut on the bike through Rickmansworth to the station (stopping briefly only to laugh at my funny joke about the bigger half).

Show all workings out.

Wednesday - where are your "mannas"

Summer’s here, the sun is out, the flowers are blooming and I have done a couple of new things and it’s not even home time yet. My lovely, lovely boss has given me a chest of drawers – and not only that, but he insisted on dropping it round to my house at lunchtime. So new things started with a drive through the back roads of Chorleywood to a road I didn’t know was there, which is a very handy short cut (and only discovered now I am due to move out!). Then after delivering the chest of drawers, he stopped off at a deli where the very least I could do was buy him a sandwich and a samosa, except staff at Manna Fine Foods in Chorleywood, forgot to put the samosa in the bag, making me look like a tight ass. Nice place though. And even their menu smells of freshly-brewed coffee.

Tuesday - "Harte"-stopping £8.50 at the pub!

The sum of two parts adding up to a new thing; went into the waiting room of Chesham train station after missing the shuttle train by a matter of seconds, then purchased a delicious packet of biscuits of strawberry and cream flavour. Then decided those two things were rubbish and so Mabel and I went to the new Harte and Magpie Pub in Coleshill, which is the sister pub of the Royal Standard of England. I can’t compare it with how it was pre-refurb, but it looked really nice and cosy. There’s a fabulous sprawling beer garden – just the thing for a summer evening like this one – with two beautiful chocolate Labrador puppies playing. Lots of beers on tap and the food looks nice, however, at £8.50 for a pint of wheat beer, an orange juice and lemonade and a packet of crisps, is it really any wonder that people would rather spend their money at the supermarket and drink at home?

Monday - thunderous applause for my swimming!

After being asked to leave the swimming pool after hearing a pretty loud thunder clap, my new thing was cycling in a weird evening light on a bicycle that later turned out to be broken! Cycled up a place called Trapp Close.

Oh Matthew...

Friday
New thing was Milk – the film. Wasn’t quite sure what the landlord was offering when he asked me if I wanted to borrow milk! Sean Penn is absolutely brilliant in this, and the film is touching although I felt flitted a bit too quickly through the major episodes in the protagonist’s life.

Saturday
New thing was a drive around the Bellingdon area again, this time we ended up at a pub called the Red Lion but we couldn’t decide whether to go in or not. Also watched another film kindly lent to us by the lovely landlord, Frost Nixon. This was so simple, yet a hugely well-acted film depicting the interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon –who would have thought that Nixon would come across as so sympathetic, while David Frost appeared to lack gravitas and was depicted as a playboy? Brilliant performances from both actors; apparently according to the landlord, this gets better upon a second viewing.

Sunday
New thing was saying goodbye to my (t)rusty van. I cried when the buyer came to collect....real new thing was a hasty detour down some road in Chorleywood because I was crying too much to go to the new pub that Mabel had in mind!

New positions - not what it sounds...

Wednesday
Some new positions in yoga tonight, but that doesn’t count. So new thing was driving around the White Hill Centre – unfortunately my visit coincided with some event taking place there, so I caused traffic chaos trying to get out of the one way system!

Thursday
Had a meeting which was held in an office I hadn’t been into before after the recent change-around.

Mabel's got Charisma

Tuesday
New thing today was being driven in Mabel’s ‘new’ Mitsubishi Carisma! Charming though it is, it made me feel a little bit travel sick...even typing this now is making me a little nauseous..urgh..better run.....

Tuesday's child is full of grace (Although it's actually a Monday this year)

Twas mbirthday today. So new things were mooching about moaning about how I haven’t achieved anything in the last year and also being taken by the lovely Mabel to Mr Poon’s Chinese Restaurant in Chalfont St Giles. We kicked off our evening out by sticking our heads into a pub called The Crown that looked too posh, before venturing a tiny bit further up the road to the Feathers which was nice and friendly. Mr Poon’s was nice – quite Chinese in style, rather than an English person’s idea of what Chinese food is like. Lovely birthday –thanks Mabel!

Drink Bacardi like it's your birthday

Thursday
Had to take a massive detour around the back streets of Dorset as there was a big accident on the road I needed.

Friday
New shops that weren’t there before! Went to some in Sherborne and also some in Dorchester, including Wellworth’s – formerly Woolworths! And quite amazingly, despite this being the age of twitter, facebook and so on, this being Dorset, we heard the county council elections via a TOWN CRIER today.

Saturday
Didn’t really go out today as we had a party at the house (with a corresponding one further up the garden being hosted by the landlord!). So my new thing was ending up in someone’s arms – much to my huge pleasure! Hahahaha!

Sunday
Was a little disappointed by Mabel’s drunkenness last night so I went to Watford to get some time on my own (I didn’t think he would want to come, but he did!). We went to a very pricey place for coffee and for him to have a think about his drinking – it was called Druckers Vienna Patisserie in the Harlequin Shopping Centre where we both had the carrot cake and a very expensive cup of coffee while discussing our future.

Fabulous, but not vantastic

Monday
Was in a raging temper for reasons I won't go into here, (although I will say that everyone whom I told about this was with me on this one!!) so not in the mood to do much new except go and get some booze. Except a calmed down a little in Sainsbury's and conceded that I should get some elderflower stuff called Bottle Green.

Tuesday
Eye rolling - bought an oyster (which took me about an hour to open).

Wednesday
New thing was lolling about in Hyde Heath waiting for my osteopath appointment.

Thursday
Poor signposting at polling station for today's county and European elections, so ended up walking into a school hall which was set up for an exam!

Wychwood? That wood.

Monday
Walked through Jordans. Jordan's what, you ask, since she has been in the news excessively this week. This was the beautiful village of Jordans.

Tuesday
Bit of a surprising new thing today. ON my way to work I nearly got killed - was almost crushed by a lorry turning left when I was at a roundabout on my bike. Bit shaken, but then cycled successfully to work, although I got covered in mud. So I was in a bit of a hurry to get home as a I looked terrible - veered off to the right when coming back into Rickmansworth and turned down the lane past Travis Perkins. This turned out to be a beautiful spot by the canal, and not at all industrial at all. Watched the canal boats for a bit before heading back out to catch my train. Bliss.

Wednesday
Gu tiffin and Sainsbury's vanilla cheesecake. And it that weren't fatty enough, cheesy puffs. Urgh.

Thursday
Arrived at Cheltenham Racecourse (not new) for the Wychwood festival (new!). Went to the Arkle bar for our stewards' briefing.

Friday
Worked in the mad box office from 9am to 2pm. Then new bands included Declan Bennett, Ella Edmondson, the Wonder Stuff (not new!) and the Super Furry Animals.

SAturday
New bands Goldheart Assembly, Kissmet, Alex Cornish (met him later - what a lovely guy!), Oysterband, LIttle Boots and Supergrass (not new!)