It's only a number...
Find out exactly what is going on in the world... at a glance.
Gossip by any other name
Have a chat with the literary geniuses of our history... and find out all you ever wanted to know...
Photographic evidence
Hands up everyone who has a computer full of great photos that are becoming resigned to their digital destiny... we have the solution!
Mum's the word
A gift to all mums for Mother's Day... with no calories!
Wake up in style
If you could invent the perfect way to wake up, this may just be it...
Mischief Making
Want to throw a custard pie at your least favourite MP or celebrity? Be my guest...
Zzzzzzzzz...
Join me and indulge yourself in the best National Something Day ever!
Isn't it true that we are all hiding something? Don't we all have a secret fear that we'll be found out at any moment? Maybe you dread that someone will discover your hour glass figure is achieved only with the help of industrial strength underwear? Perhaps you fear the discovery of the catering company's packaging in your bin the morning after that fabulous dinner party? Maybe it's a secret of a more serious nature? An affair? An indiscretion? Whatever it is, it's not a patch on mine.
My secret fear is that one day someone will rummage through my huge stash of photo memorabilia and publish the one of my pet poodle. What's wrong with that, I hear you ask. In theory, nothing, but the poodle in question lived on my head! An unsatisfactory trip to the hairdressers had resulted in my unplanned adoption of this pooch. I was not happy and the long hair I have now is due mainly to the fact that I have never set foot in a hairdressing salon since!
I keep promising myself that I will sort out the source of my photographic shame but, luckily, I always seem to have something better to do.
Now, with the age of digital photography well established, this problem should be a thing of the past. At least it would be if we ever got round to printing them out. Hands up everyone who has a computer full of great photos that are becoming resigned to their digital destiny. Isn't it a shame that now we finally have control over the quality of our photographs, they will probably never grace the cellophane-clad pages of the family album?
This week, Web Watch aims to sort this out for you with the help of a nifty little idea from Bobbooks.co.uk. Bob Books will enable you to transform your snaps into a stylish, hardback book that would look at home on any coffee table.
The site invites you to download the software that enables you to arrange your photography into a snappy layout. You have three options on page size - landscape, portrait and square - and you can choose the number of pages required from 24 through to 120 pages.
Once you are happy with the content of your book, you simply send it off to Bob Books - either via email or post - and wait. Your photos will take a quick trip to Switzerland where the transformation from simple to sophisticated will take place. Twelve days later, your high-quality, semi-gloss, hardback book will arrive on your doorstep - complete with all your memories looking their very best (minus any unwanted pets, of course)!
This site is well organised and very easy to follow. Unfortunately, I couldn't test the software because the Mac version isn't available until June (saving the best til last!) but I will be going back to download my copy as soon as it's ready.
Unfortunately, we've missed Mother's Day for this year but Father's Day is not far off and a beautifully bound hardback book full of your Dad's favourite people and places could hit the spot rather nicely. The deadline to guarantee delivery is 21st May so you have plenty of time to get organised.
And don't forget the birthdays, weddings, births, christenings and the many anniversaries that occupy our calendars. And, of course. it's only 278 days until Christmas! I'll leave you with that thought!
