Five Centres

The last of the ITV regional identities is about to go by the look of it. Grampian will be no more. Oh well, no one ever saw it did they?

Something we do see and it isn't Johnny Briggs marvellous as Mike Baldwin in Corrie. I've always dismissed him as a squat pug in a shorty mac, but he's been a total revelation now his character is stricken with Alzheimer's. It's sad to see someone suffer like that, and it does make you think about your parents. They're compos mentis now, but for how long? Healthwise it's one thing after another with them, and every time I call I wonder what I'll hear next. That said, they're in pretty rude health generally, despite it all. I think they rather enjoy it this brave new world of never knowing what's around the corner. Like when my granny used to pour over the local paper - "I see Blanche Ryves is dead," she'd pipe up, shattering the afternoon peace of The Cedar Tree.

Now when I go to see my parents, I'm the one looking in the local paper to see if I recognise any names in the obituaries column. And I rather like it.