I went to see Four Weddings And A Funeral when it first came out, attending a mid-morning showing back in 1994. Married, no kids. Step forward five years to Notting Hill, and we needed the services of a babysitter for our two young girls. Now, 2003, another Richard Curtis outing - the ultimate couples' film?

Make sure you're connected
— Connected, Stereo MCs

1. Me and t' wife were at the premiere of Love Actually on Sunday evening with Hugh, Emma, Alan and a generally stellar cast. Well, I say premiere, it was more of a preview screening, truth be told. Also, strictly speaking, the stars and starlets were no more than moving images on the screen, which was in UGC Cinemas at Cardinal Park, Ipswich.

   Everyone's in it, from Ant & Dec to Marcus Brigstocke to thingy who plays Jack Bauer's accident-prone daughter in 24. Takes a while to get your head around who's who. Lots of laughs, a fair bit of schmaltz, and Bill Nighy's ageing pop star pretty much steals the show. In the fortunate position of playing Keira Knightley's new hubby is a chap named Chiwetel Ejiofor...
    

2. ...whose surname reads like a challenging Scrabble hand. Earlier on that same Sunday, a medical student named Harshan Lamabadusuriya became the 2003 national Scrabble champion. On the web you can even replay each of the three final games move by move, which is fun. First word on the board in the final was aloha...
    
3. ...which can mean both hello and goodbye. Hello Goodbye was on Magical Mystery Tour, the Beatles' 1967 album. Unlikely cover stars of the current NME are none other than the Fab Four, thanks to their remixed version of Let It Be. This displaced the ubiquitous Dido on Amazon as number 1...
    
4. ...and who should jump straight in at number 1 on the singles chart this week but those cheeky young whippersnappers Busted, outselling even Britney. They're due to play in Christchurch Park next summer, as Charlie is the local boy made good, which should please eldest daughter...
    
5. ...who's been engaged in online auction frenzy with her younger sister. Both were asked to tidy their rooms and, as encouragement, I said they could have the money for any unwanted items sold on ebay. So eldest sold a cuddly pig for a quid, then middler flogged some boots for £3.82. So eldest dug out some riding boots, again outgrown, which went for £11. Then middler found some much nicer boots, final price £14.37. Current stalemate while both go in search of more boots...
    
6. ...while the high street chemist of the same name (albeit with a capital) have been doing a rather good offer: spend £50 and get a new Philips Freeview box for half-price. Arriving shortly, following today's online purchase, should be stacks of razors, toothpaste and other "essentials", and hopefully a shiny silver digital box to pick up CBBC...
    
7. ...so the boy can gorge himself on Balamory. Altogether now: what's the story on Balamory, wouldn't you like to know? I can already sing the tune without ever having seen an episode. It's filmed with real people, a shock for pre-schoolers, on an island location somewhere in Scotland...
    
8. ...where Sarah-down-the-road was born. Been working with Sarah on Project X. Would like to say more, but can't. Very hush-hush. Might generate a tiny bit of income, though not enough to stop my day job in the office...
    
9. ...in which David Brent is due back soon for a Christmas special. Wernham Hogg's voice of reason, of course, is Tim, played by Martin Freeman, who has one of the many parts in Love Actually...

Isn't this where we came in again?

Be seeing you!

Ed