I went to the Parker's Arms at Newton in Bowland with Mrs Sidders and Old Mother Sidders at lunchtime today. Starters, mains and drinks came to a very reasonable £57 but we could have eaten cheaper if we'd gone for the specials. Very good local produce (I had potted trout followed by rabbit pastie), friendly well-informed waitress and very welcoming host. Tasteful decor, open fire, great pint of locally brewed Sawley Tempted and no riff-raff. Absolutely lovely and recommended. About 40 minute drive from Blackburn largely through lovely scenery.

Brazil 82 had some amazing players - Zico, Junior, Eder, Falcao and Socrate. The latter's goal against USSR (that's Russia, Ukraine, etc to you young uns) was just sublime. They had grace and real power when attacking but defended with the mentality of "we'll score loads so why defend?". That gameplan worked brilliantly in the early games and they were the shining light in an otherwise moribund 1st and 2nd group stages. Yes kids, two group stages! Alas they got the Italians later on just as Paolo Rossi was getting into gear and their comedy goalkeeper did his worst. That 82 world cup classic was topped with murderous game between France and West Germany. Schumacher and Batiston! Ouch!

Great to watch on the field and clearly a character with a real heart off it. It shows you can be a sublinely gifted player and not be as thick as Gazza, Beckham, Best, etc. Incidentally, so impressed was the young Sidders by Socrates at the '82 world cup he named his cat after the Brazilian captain. Brazil 82 were easily the best footballing team I have ever seen - just a pity they had no interest in defending and a goalkeeper who was a poor second to Prof Stephen Hawking between the sticks.

There are plenty more "crikey" moments to come. I really enjoyed Storm Of Swords as aside from being a well written yarn there's just so much going on. I have finished Feast For Crows and to begin with the pace is far slower but then stuff starts to happen. Not started Dance With Dragons yet as I am taking a break and reading Vlad: the Last Confession by C.C.Humphreys. Very good and seemingly closely following real events. The impalement scenes really are as gruesome as you'd expect.

We went to the Oyster & Otter for the first time tonight and really liked it. Food was really good and good sized portions - no room for pudding! The waitress was a bit over familiar for my liking but was attentive enough. I'd recommend it.

We went to see Immortals recently. Absolute codswallop. Do not waste your time or money. Mrs Sidders loved it as she spent the whole time drooling and panting over that bloke who was in The Tudors so it might appeal to ladies.

Colin, I remember you were similarly startled with Ths Thing Of Darkness. Don't be put off by the numbers just get stuck in. Once you are past the prologue it flows beautifully. Absolute genius. Several of my family and friends are now engrossed by this saga and my 20 year old niece was genuinely upset today by developments in Book 3. Any book that gets anyone so involved has got to be worth reading. You will come to really care about some of the characters and will hate others... and then later on you'll question your judgement. It's a masterclass in point of view literature. By the way, two of the younger members of my clan have declared this series to be better than Harry Potter and those bloody awful Twilight books and one of them now realises the difference in page turners aimed at kids and the grown up stuff.

I've now finished A Storm Of Swords and I'm totally blown away. The saga just gets better, more absorbing and more labyrinthine. Absolute genius. I was going to wait a while before purchasing A Feast For Crows, but found myself unable to resist this morning.

Aldridge Prior is a good shout. Great coach and worked at a lot of big European clubs.

Couldn't agree more Colin. Alas, I have little to add but the risk of sounding repetitive, I can't recommend George R R Martin's A Song Of Fire And Ice series (Game Of Thrones, etc) enough. Absolutely absorbing and worryingly addictive. I'm halfway through volume 3 and the storylines remain compelling with plenty of surprises along the way. Great characterisation and with lush descriptions of the sigjts and smells of a superbly imagined alternative medieval world.

Just read The Profession by Steven Pressfield (Gates Of Fire) and it's good but not great. It's set 21 years from now in a world where oil is in greater demand and Uncle Sam and others employ huge mercenary armies to fight their dirty wars for them. The plot is well constructed and the set piece action sequences are superb but it feels rather contrived and a bit too convenient. By the way, Game Of Thrones was brilliant and the best novel I've read since This Thing Of Darkness.

I said it was too salty and that it wasn't as good as usual, but I'd been more specific the previous time and it was the same sort of mistake so they're not for learning. In fairness, if it had been pretty well anywhere else I probably wouldn't have been so bothered, it's just that I know how good it was not so long ago.

I went to the Butlers Arms at Pleasington on Thursday night and have to say I was massively disappointed again. I've been there many times and have always enjoyed it, apart from once a few months ago when Mrs Sidders had to send her fish back as it wasn't cooked. This time I went with four family members and the common feeling was way too much salt, bland food and somewhat stingy portions of veg. The batter on the onion rings my brother-in-law got with his steak wasn't cooked properly either. Very disappointing and feel that's another one to strike off the regulars list.

The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland - finished it and was generally pleased. First part was a bit heavy going until you work out who is who, then it's brilliant... but the ending is rubbish. I felt cheated. Now reading Games of Thrones by George R R Martin - I'll start by saying I haven't been watching the TV adaptation but this book is insanely addictive with well-structured characters, proper dialogue between them,a galloping plot, conflict, fighting, intrigue, betrayal, murder, wolves and a fair splash of ooh la la. Bloody marvellous. Only just over halfway through but I already know I will be reading the next volume.

Agree wholeheartedly although it I think it should have been wraped up a bit quicker after the Vanger mystery was resolved. I'll be picking up the next Blomqvist/Salander book over the summer but currently reading The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland. I read Company Of Liars by her a couple of years ago and thought it was great. So far so good with this one and even though less than 100 pages in there's been a man eaten alive by insects, a ritual sacrifice and a bit of ooh la la.