Welcome to (ahem) my little place

Yes, that's right, if you're ever passing Cambridge, do drop into the Judge Business School. Just mention my name and you're sure to get a warm welcome....

On a visit to Cambridge last week, I got to fulfill a long-held ambition. Not to found a Business School, but to visit one that happens to have my name. And get my photo taken in the very fanciful foyer.

The Judge school is a fantastic looking building, and it's worth checking the much better pictures at John Outram architects. It's immediately opposite my old College, Peterhouse (also named after me - in the year 1284) in what used to be the Old Addenbrookes Hospital. This was a strangely useless neighbour as a student: a friend got a rusty railing through his foot, while trying to climb into college, and the Casualty department was in the New Addenbrookes, outside town. .

Yes, but see the lights....

But it really is nearly Christmas. We went with my mum to see some lovely Christmas Lights, in Newstead Road in Hither Green. It's someone's front garden, and they've gone right over the top, including turning their front room into Santa's Grotto. Well worth a look if you're passing round London's wonderful South Circular road. And they're collecting for charity.

And PS: Got the Christmas CD from the Jazz Protagonists, and it's getting a lot of play here. Is it good jazz,? I don't know. but Kitty loves it, and it's changing my feelings about Baptists from Texas...

How Tony Blair made the Tories electable

I just had a spam, signed by Jo Brand, fishing for donations to the Labour Party. The pitch is that with David Cameron's new-found popularity, the Tories are a threat, so we'd better all pull together.

If it's true, then who's responsible? Tony Blair "made Labour electable" in the 1990s (or was that a combination of John Smith and the fact that there weren't any Tories left?). Looks like he's now done the same trick for the Tories.

The Tories are now more evil and uncaring and generally hopeless than at any time since Thatcher, and yet they are ahead in the polls. There's only reason I can think of for this incredible fact, and it's Tony Blair. He lied, to take us to a stupid war that's done no good. NOBODY TRUST TONY BLAIR.

I've sent an email back of course. But thought I'd put it here.

Don't get me this for Christmas!

It's from Victorinox. It's a Swiss Army knife. It has a USB memory.

Now that has been done before. But this time they've outdone themselves with the gift that would say you are a total twat.

It's 18 karat gold. It can be engraved with your monogram. It starts at 1Gbyte. It costs from 980 euros. And it doesn't even have a knife blade, because you can't take knives on planes.

My rusty steed

My bike is nice. It cost £35 second hand when I had my previous one stolen two years ago. I've added mudguards, dynamos, but it's the same old ten-speed, Reynolds 531 frame, blue painted, with a dent here and there.

But it's not getting the love it deserves. Since I went on the BMX track with my nephew, it's got a wobble (yes - I managed to leave the ground!). The chain is showing rust. The back mudguard needs another mend with duct tape - a fourth one - where a stay came loose. And today the back gear cable broke, so it's actually a tw-speed.

All right. It deserves care and attention. It's out there in the dark at the moment. But tomorrow, without fail, I will oil the chain. At the very least.