poliphilo

1. You woudn't think a eucalyptus tree- which is native to Australia, right?- would flourish in the soggy north west of England, but ours does. We bought it under the impression that it would reach 12 feet- tops; but we were misled because it just grows and grows until I have to lop it so it doesn't intefere with the over-head wires. Yesterday I cut it right back- so that it's shorter now than I am- leaving it as a thick, burly stump with a plume of fresh green shoots.

2. I'm listening to Charles Trenet. Rock and Roll never really happned in France, so it was possible for a singer to pursue a career across the middle of the 20th century without ever dropping out of fashion. Trenet is a contemporary of Cole Porter's but also of Paul McCartney's. And he's the equal of both. It's happy music.

3. I hate this weather. No, that's wrong- I don't hate it; I just don't want to go out in it; I'm perfectly happy to watch it through the window.

4. Torchwood has run its course. We were promised adult sci-fi. Huge, stompy, Biblical monsters with horns are not- unless viewed with irony- particularly adult. So this first season was been a bit of a mess- poor writing, variable acting, exciting direction. If they bring it back- and I hope they do- I trust they'll have had a long hard think in the interim about what they're trying to achieve.