The debonair Basil Marigold's

It has begun to prove useful, having a five year old son. His size is now almost perfect. If I had a chimney, he'd be up it with a brush. I don't, however, have a chimney. I do have a car. Quite frankly vacuuming it can be bit of pain: the bending down; I can't lean cross through the car to hoover the other side. I have too go around no open the other side doors. These can be on the road; I have to then pay attention if a car wants to go down the street. It's a chore. Now though, I have a 'Vacuum Monkey'. He's fantastic. He can clamber over seats carrying the long extension nozzle. He can now, also, detach and reattach the different vacuum nozzles. He can start on the pavement side of the car and work his way across. He can fit under the car seats. He's the car equivalent of a potholing rescue team member! Now he has started following instructions he's become less of a liability! He enjoys it, too! One of his questions yesterday, having vac

We've lost yet another talent in 2016. It's now taken one of the finest comedy actors in history. And, perhaps more importantly for people of a certain age, he represented one of the my childhood memories; He was Willy Wonka. I had read most of the Roald Dahl books as a child. This one was a particular favourite. What child would not want to be part of a tour of the worlds biggest chocolate factory (comparable to going around the Guinness brewery in Dublin, as an adult!). This tour was led by Willy Wonka. Gene Wilder, who has died at 83 IS Willy Wonka. When we play our Charlie and the chocolate factory audio CD in the car. I can only see Gene Wilder. I cannot separate the character from the actor. He played the part in such a sublime way, he made it his own. In the audio CD the character is all jolly. In the books and in the film he is a far more complex character. He is hugely mysterious. As Wilder said, 'He was part of this world, but also part of another'.