One good thing about working in the media is getting to meet famous people.

This week I interviewed Sue Pollard, of Hi De Hi fame, who's in Annie at Malvern Theatres this week.

Well, let me tell you she's mad. Not angry, but mad, barmy, off her trolley, one button short of a full blazer. She's a very nice lady, and very enthusiastic about life - but mad.

It's funny, but most people who you meet are pretty much like you expect. Most of them are very helpful, friendly, chatty people, who enjoy their work and are only too happy to talk about it.

There is the odd exception to the rule, some right miserable ******* but there are in all walks of life, I guess.

Talking of miserable, the brains trust was back in action in the snug at the Barmaid's Bosom last weekend. Well, one or two had been to the rugby in Reading, so we were not too happy.

We came to the conclusion that the time of year doesn't help. Dark in the morning, dark at night, dark all day, no cricket - it's all a bit grim, really.

Cider-man said we should all cheer up as Christmas was coming, but to be honest, the thought of the festive season increased the gloom for one or two.

The lights will be on soon, the shopping frenzy will begin, we shall fight for, queue for, pay for, and wrap presents that in some cases will never be worn, played with, used etc.

Don't get me wrong, I like Christmas - the season of goodwill and all that. But sometimes it goes a bit too far. I get wished a Merry Christmas by people who I don't know and don't mean it.

Sorry to sound Scrooge-like, but it can be a bit daunting, the old Yuletide.

The other subject of conjecture in the Barmaid's was traffic wardens.

I did try to put the case for the poor old warden - only someone trying to do a job. But it appears "the" warden made a visit to our local town last week - he comes round at the same time as Halley's Comet - and he went away with a full notebook.

"I've parked on them yeller lions fer 20 years" was the complaint of "Farmer Giles", "and terday I gets a ticket."

I did try to explain to him he shouldn't be parking there at any time, but he was not to be swayed and went off on an assault on all things to do with authority.

Not sure how Rudolf Hess got into the conversation, though...