It's not that I don't like January and it's not as if I can avoid it... but I do try and ignore it. For me, it's a buffer between the old and the new year. An opportunity to have a sort of change of gear or direction. So here we are in February which ...

Writing has been an important part of my life: from winning a Birmingham Post writing competition at the age of 7 (and appeared on ITVs Tingha and Tucker show to read it; those of you of a certain age will know the programme - the rest of you will have to look it up) to writing a training manual for people with literacy problems (I still have sleep ...