We got the papers

 Acting as a publishing.pany means Armstrong has still retained his four full-time Kitchenware staff – two of who are based in Newcastle with the others down in Nottingham."We still work with Editors, Sirens and Karima Francis," he says. "But the only act we manage since the launch of our new business is Jake."Staff are working as freelances and we're building a virtual management.pany which we're confident is moving in the right direction. I'm actually enjoying the industry now more than I ever have done."THE postman's delivery mid-week made me realise that I have reached that "certain" age.

In the mail was a copy of the Lakeland catalogue, full of bits and bobs to use in the kitchen with baking and cooking.I was in my element, and put everything on hold to sit down with a cuppa and look at the things I wanted, but couldn't afford.Pages and pages of baking tins, books, ingredients, utensils —Making life easier. Once upon a time I'd have been drooling over the clothing catalogues that would be delivered, agonising over the shoes and clothes and organising my wardrobe. Oh how times have changed!I always used to sit back and wait for my mother to whip up cakes for me, but now I am far happier looking to expand on my kitchenware to do it myself rather than pore over magazines to see what the latest fashions are. Oh dear.

It was the same on Sunday. We got the papers, and among all the supplements that came with them, showing shoes, bags and glitzy earrings, and all the celebrity gossip, one magazine leapt out at me.Thirty-two pages of wonderful gadgets I could use in the home and garden to do all manner of things! A hands-free vegetable peeler, a drip-free teapot, to super-size clothes pegs.I shuddered when I saw the 25-piece paint brush set however, as I still haven't recovered from my week up a stepladder.There was even footwear — but it wasn't killer heels, but a pair of "snug and warm Nordic slippers", and very.fy they look as well!So, I shall go make myself another cuppa and spend a few minutes peeping at the wondrous items in my magazines, and plan what to buy when I eventually get my lottery win!