Best things

This idea was inspired by a Newsnight Review Special, with regular guests listing their favourite examples from different arts categories. Unless otherwise stated, choices apply to us both.

Art

The Rothko room (this is our Church) and Anselm Kiefer exhibition (especially the incredible, vertiginous 'Lilith'), both at Tate Modern.

The Turner Collection at the Clore Gallery, Tate Britain - how did we leave it so long?

The Turner Prize - the highest standard of entries since we started watching.

Fractal art - a major new obsession! (ID)

Books

In Search of Lost Time (Part I - Swann's Way) - Marcel Proust

Experience - Martin Amis

Underworld - Don DeLillo (ID)

Sheepshagger - Niall Griffiths (ID)

Food

Saturday night pizza & chips.

Mildred's restaurant (Lexington St, Soho) - excellent food & wine at a reasonable price and clearly labeled for the discerning diner.

Moments

Walking along the Millenium Bridge with the grey/blue river light dominating the scene.

Sitting outside 'The Flask' pub on Flask Walk, Hampstead on a beautiful sunny late spring afternoon watching the 'flâneurs' of NW3 pass by with their canine companions.

Visiting 'Wentworth Place' (Keats' House) in Hampstead, touching the spine of one of Keats' books, having my photograph taken outside the front door.

Following in the footsteps of one of our favourite literary characters - Charles Arrowby from Iris Murdoch's 'The Sea, The Sea' by visiting the Wallis collection to see Titian's 'Perseus and Andromeda' then turning around to see Rembrant's portrait of Titus.

The first sight of Matlock Bath on a summer's morning, it's seaside smells and sounds, the taste of real ale and picnicking on the Heights of Abraham, eating chips with a wooden fork whilst sitting on a High Street seat, a bus ride home with grass stained jeans.

Evenings spent watching the slow sunset from our meadow seat sipping wine and counting the rooks coming in to roost.

A post-prandial cognac in "The French House" in Soho, soaking up its strangely compelling ambience.

Music/clubbing

Hard Trance plus the new Drum 'n Bass - hits the spot every time!

Storm monthly allnighters @ The Emporium - proper clubbing at its best. (ID)

Plants

Crepis rubra - the first time I have grown this little annual which resembles a pink dandelion is very easy to grow and is ignored by slugs. I liked it teamed with nemophila menziesii (baby blue eyes).
Cynoglossum amabile - a beautiful biennial with compellingly rich blue flowers somewhat larger than a forget-me-not. Long lasting too.
Helianthus 'Velvet Queen' - a deep copper/red sunflower at five foot tall they added a stately presence to the borders. I grew them with Helianthus Valentine with its' classy pale yellow flowers with a dark central disc - the "must-have" sunflower!
Papaver commutatatum - "Ladybird poppy" - always a favourite with its rich scarlet petals each with a blob of contrasting black. A classy annual which always seems to elicit favourable comments even from non-gardeners.
Cyperus eregrostis - a very successful addition to our list of plants grown mainly for their foliage. Very easy from seed this unusual plant is a hardy variety of papyrus with sedge-like leaves and "flower" spikes held proudly clear of the plant looking like strange spiky crowns. As I now write in late December, these are still some of the most eye-catching plants in the garden, holding their shape well.
Meconopsis grandis - the famous blue poppy from Nepal- supposedly a difficult plant to grow but one which seems to do rather well here. I find that seed germinates very quickly when sown as soon as it is ripe - usually around September. I then simply grow the seedlings on in the cold greenhouse potting them on as necessary and planting them out when they are big enough to defend themselves against my resident molluscs!

TV/film

Comedy: The Osbournes - at last, a decent slice of reality TV!

Factual: Dan Cruikshank's architecture programs - for his unflagging enthusiasm.

Film: Iris - an excellent production depicting an extraordinary life.

Art	The Rothko room (this is our Church) and Anselm Kiefer exhibition (especially the incredible, vertiginous 'Lilith'), both at Tate Modern. The Turner Collection at the Clore Gallery, Tate Britain - how did we leave it so long? The Turner Prize - the highest standard of entries since we started watching. Fractal art - a major new obsession! (ID)
Books	In Search of Lost Time (Part I - Swann's Way) - Marcel Proust Experience - Martin Amis Underworld - Don DeLillo (ID) Sheepshagger - Niall Griffiths (ID)
Food	Saturday night pizza & chips. Mildred's restaurant (Lexington St, Soho) - excellent food & wine at a reasonable price and clearly labeled for the discerning diner.
Moments	Walking along the Millenium Bridge with the grey/blue river light dominating the scene. Sitting outside 'The Flask' pub on Flask Walk, Hampstead on a beautiful sunny late spring afternoon watching the 'flâneurs' of NW3 pass by with their canine companions. Visiting 'Wentworth Place' (Keats' House) in Hampstead, touching the spine of one of Keats' books, having my photograph taken outside the front door. Following in the footsteps of one of our favourite literary characters - Charles Arrowby from Iris Murdoch's 'The Sea, The Sea' by visiting the Wallis collection to see Titian's 'Perseus and Andromeda' then turning around to see Rembrant's portrait of Titus. The first sight of Matlock Bath on a summer's morning, it's seaside smells and sounds, the taste of real ale and picnicking on the Heights of Abraham, eating chips with a wooden fork whilst sitting on a High Street seat, a bus ride home with grass stained jeans. Evenings spent watching the slow sunset from our meadow seat sipping wine and counting the rooks coming in to roost. A post-prandial cognac in "The French House" in Soho, soaking up its strangely compelling ambience.
Music/clubbing	Hard Trance plus the new Drum 'n Bass - hits the spot every time! Storm monthly allnighters @ The Emporium - proper clubbing at its best. (ID)
Plants	Crepis rubra - the first time I have grown this little annual which resembles a pink dandelion is very easy to grow and is ignored by slugs. I liked it teamed with nemophila menziesii (baby blue eyes). Cynoglossum amabile - a beautiful biennial with compellingly rich blue flowers somewhat larger than a forget-me-not. Long lasting too. Helianthus 'Velvet Queen' - a deep copper/red sunflower at five foot tall they added a stately presence to the borders. I grew them with Helianthus Valentine with its' classy pale yellow flowers with a dark central disc - the "must-have" sunflower! Papaver commutatatum - "Ladybird poppy" - always a favourite with its rich scarlet petals each with a blob of contrasting black. A classy annual which always seems to elicit favourable comments even from non-gardeners. Cyperus eregrostis - a very successful addition to our list of plants grown mainly for their foliage. Very easy from seed this unusual plant is a hardy variety of papyrus with sedge-like leaves and "flower" spikes held proudly clear of the plant looking like strange spiky crowns. As I now write in late December, these are still some of the most eye-catching plants in the garden, holding their shape well. Meconopsis grandis - the famous blue poppy from Nepal- supposedly a difficult plant to grow but one which seems to do rather well here. I find that seed germinates very quickly when sown as soon as it is ripe - usually around September. I then simply grow the seedlings on in the cold greenhouse potting them on as necessary and planting them out when they are big enough to defend themselves against my resident molluscs!
TV/film	Comedy: The Osbournes - at last, a decent slice of reality TV! Factual: Dan Cruikshank's architecture programs - for his unflagging enthusiasm. Film: Iris - an excellent production depicting an extraordinary life.