Showtime

Jeanette and John treated us all to an evening at the Panto yesterday, with Sam, Kate & Rob in attendance also. The show in question was Aladdin at Manchester's Opera House and if you live in this region and have got kids I urge you to go and see it. Actually, go to see it even if you haven't got kids - or have some kids if you think you need an excuse to go. Absolute magic: colourful, funny, loud, cheerfully vulgar; unapologetic fun for its own sake, lovingly performed. It made me proud to be British - panto being a most peculiarly British institution. And Eric Potts as Widow Twanky is the best pantomime dame I have seen live on stage.