Firstly, I have to apologise to all of you for being absent for a while.

I got a shock a few weeks ago, when my lovely big brother was diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer. He's the fit and healthy (up until now) one in our family so I was very upset, especially as he's my only relative.

Anyway, he's incredibly positive about it all (and getting fed up with his wife and I being drama queens) and assures me that the private health care where they live in Spain, is fantastic.

So tomorrow, on his 65th birthday (!), he's having his prostate removed. Then it's a wait to see what happens next.

I sent him this photo of us (from 1984) to make him smile - he's hardly changed at all, whereas I'm much rounder, and hopefully not so sulky looking!!

I think that once he's had his op, I'll feel more blippish and will be catching up with all you lovely people....in the meantime feel free to be rude about my awful 80s perm!! :-) xx