Market forces

Well, I said it could become a habit... and this morning I returned to St Nicholas Market for a very early coffee and to watch them get the produce stalls up and running.

There's something invigorating about markets - you can feel the life returning to the city as trade is done, conversations are struck up and people's faces are lit up by smiles.

Brightly coloured awnings add to the fun and it's fascinating to wander around looking at vegetables that aren't supermarket straight, weird and wonderful breads and cakes and glistening, freshly-caught fish.

I could have stayed there for hours. Instead, it was off to you know where!

I think the chancellor's biggest cut today was in the number of stories we received before 5pm. Doesn't half make life taxing in the final 60 minutes, if you pardon the pun.

Anyway, to compound matters, I arrived home after work, got changed, sat down to check my email and... no reading glasses.

So it was all the way back to work to find them before I could have my tea and try, finally, to relax.

Once upon a time, that would have involved a 70-mile round trip - mainly by train. Today it was 1.5 miles on foot - and I was back home in half an hour.

And, yes, the glasses were indeed on my desk! I suddenly feel very old.