BBC Seven...

..is my new thang. I can spend all my time in the studio listening to Poirot, or this week a dramatisation of 'Fatherland' with Anton Lesser - The Nazis won the war it's Hitlers 75th birthday and president Kennedy is coming over for the celebrations but.... most excellent. I still like the Today Programme over coffee (especially the weather reports, ouch!).

Sorry to hear about the shrinking mum problem, at least it gives an excuse to keep buying new outfits. We'll get you over here to fatten you up (just mum for the fattening dad). We have a man starting to construct a terrace on Monday and the kitchen tiles have been decapped and sealed(first coat). The Granite slab for the worktop is at the stone masons waiting for the inset half sink and georgeous italian tap which have been ordered. By the autumn we should have made some real progress, no more drafts, a chiminee in the kitchen and underfloor heating, can hardly wait.

Tour de France kicks off today in London and passes nearby (249km leg from the Alps to Marseille!!) in a few weeks time. Makes me tired thinking about it.

Don't forget the Sunday Telegraph Magazine tomorrow and I'll give you and Tina a ring. Lots of love, julian