The potato has just been declared the safest food in Britain by food intolerance experts, YorkTest.com, who compiled a list of foods which cause the fewest allergic reactions,

The good old spud, which has been with us since the mid 1500’s has most of the vitamins we need for sustenance and can provide this for about 10 people on just one acre. The Irish potato famine came about because they relied on it so much, but it proved vital during the Second World War when we were encouraged to eat potatoes in place of bread.

What would we do without the humble spud, boiled, mashed, chipped, roast and part of the main meal of the day for many years (in fact it still is for many?)

While writing this I have just discovered a potato fan club - did anyone else know there was such a thing?

Also, 2008 is the International Day of the Potato and we are holding our own British Potato Day on Februay 3rd. Incredible. I’ve got to research what we do on the day, apart from eating potatoes, which we do daily anyway!

I think I’ll post some ideas on the 3rd in case anyone wants to join the celebrations.

This evening is the great tradition of Burns night where Scottish people unite to honour their greatest poet. Robert Burns was born on January 25th 1759 and died at the age of 37. A group of his friends started to gather on the anniversary of his death and the first Burns Clubs originated in the early 1800s.

His poetry captured the British imagination so that Burns night is not just confined to Scotland. It takes a creative and funny genius that can write beautiful poetry about love, life and haggis.

All around the country men will dress in kilts and women in evening dress to watch the haggis carried on a salver. A piper marches ahead, playing the bagpipes while a waiter brings a bottle of whisky and glasses for the chef and the piper.

The ‘Address to the Haggis, ’ Burns famous poem is read, and then the haggis is cut, to be served with swede, (neaps) and potato, (tatties.)

This is followed by a toast to Burns and some less formal toasts and ends with ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ (also by Burns) which is often sung as the clock strikes twelve on New Years Eve.

Who but the Brits could hold an evening of pomp and ceremony mingled with pipers, and poems to food with such comic seriousness? It is a wonderful tradition and a great shame that Burns never got to enjoy it himself.

I’ve just watched some innovative, funny creative television that is NOT reality TV, a talent show or stars competing in a skill that they have no training for, such as ice skating or singing.

‘Thank God You’re Here’ relies on actors and comedians to think on their feet and react to whatever situation is thrown at them. Its concept is slightly similar to old favourite ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway,’ I can honestly say it is the first programme I have really enjoyed for a long time.

We have humour, creative actors and comedians, great writers and a culture that lends itself to comedy so why we have so much crap TV is a mystery.

Let’s hope that the tide is turning, the wicked witch of reality and sub standard TV is dead and novel, exciting, interesting entertaining programmes will herald television Spring.

Some people prefer margarine and others prefer butter. I dislike margarine because its texture and colour is supposed to emulate butter and yet it is nothing like butter. The ‘buttery taste’ copies are not butter like, they are just a smudge nearer than ordinary margarine.

Vegetarian bacon, burgers or sausages should not really exist at all because there is no such thing. They also taste nothing like the meat they are emulating but vegetarians have no basis for comparison.

Fakes never match the original whether it is food, a painting or the latest offering of TV’s huge bucket of competitive star, wannabe, talent or skill programmes, ‘The One and Only.’ I have never understood why anyone would want to create a tribute act or band rather than something original. Even less do I understand the reasoning behind a programme where the winner; having been voted through each week and gone through all the highs and lows of the performances; only gets to be a copy of someone famous, something they were doing already.

Talking of pantomimes, my theatre company periodically mulls over the idea of performing one. Ideally it would be tailor made for our small underground theatre and some of the characters in our group of amateur thespians.

So I have decided to write one.   I have a hefty task before me, because in order to aim for a pantomime for this December, or January 09 I need to have it written, rewritten and ready to roll by May, when we start choosing our winter production.   I will also want to direct it which will be novel as I have not directed before.

Anyway my plan is to try and complete it by then and to post the odd excerpt here on Crazy Brits, in the hope that some of you will be kind enough to post some comments and give me some feedback.

Writing a pantomime fits in quite well with ‘Crazy Brits’ or at least this Crazy Brit, and hopefully you’ll enjoy getting glimpses of it along the way.

I have chosen ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes.’ The Emperor is vain, obviously, but ultimately a ‘goodie’ with an evil brother….BOOO!   I may not be able to talk any of my am dram friends into appearing nude so it may have to be some lary shorts or something…ideas please.

With regard to this, it is the month, and not the country.  January everwhere is dreary whether it’s hot dry and dreary,  windy, wintery and dreary, blisteringly, baking and dreary, or snowy, freezing and dreary.  I know we are cold wet and dreary but hey, we brighten it all up with pantomimes which is more than can be said for anywhere else!

Pantomimes are being performed in theatres, village halls and community centres throughout the land.
We all know what they are but to try and describe them to a visitor to this nation is more difficult.

A traditional Christmas play, loosely based on one of the fairytales or sometimes a mixture of a few of them, containing contemporary music and songs, some which the audience can participate in.

In it at least one man will be dressed as a woman, playing a female character and a woman is likely to be playing the prince, or lead male character. This is because it is funnier, and pantomimes were originally Mummers plays performed in manor houses by travelling players who were all male and had to take female and male roles.

Audience participation is vital, ‘oh yes it is!’ They expect to join in throughout by shouting ‘look behind you’ when the ‘villain’ appears behind the hero or heroine, and arguing the toss whenever the key character shouts ‘Oh yes it is, or oh no it isn’t!’ The audience will cheer for the heroes and boo or hiss at the villains, throughout. This includes adults in the audience, who seem to revert to childhood, as well as the children themselves.

Pantomimes run from December usually until end January, though sometimes mid February. Actors, TV personalities, pop stars and others take part in them and act as a magnet to encourage people to see the show.

Other sure events are that a couple of children will be invited to participate in something on stage and sweets will be thrown at the audience at the end.

They are quirky, eccentric, funny, full of contradictions and we love them. Maybe because in a way, they depict all the good, crazy aspects of Britain.

I heard on the news that the Government is going to provide  advance screening for serial killers.  Just as I was wondering why the heck evil criminals should be getting prestigious health benefits the report continued…such as heart disease, cancer and strokes.

I read this:-‘I have achieved my long held dream of sleeping till I wake up for nine whole months,’ and realized I could do this even if I had to be somewhere at the crack of dawn, provided of course that I go to bed early enough.

I’m normally an owl, happy to stay up until the wee hours but sluggish and dozy in the mornings even if I have had a good and early night. In these dark winter nights it is easy to want to go to bed early, but it won’t turn me into a lark.