The second edition of the Kemptown Rag arrived through my letterbox over the weekend, and the first reviews are in. Barbara Aston of Bristol Street writes:

"Dear Editor,
Well I don't know why you bothered."

Not a great start. She continues...

"It looks like you plan to produce this rubbish once a fortnight - well you can cut me from the distribution list - most of my neighbours felt the same too."

So that's one less street to deliver to. Councillor Warren Morgan, meanwhile, writes to politely point out that his name's not Warren Mitchell, and would they mind getting it right.

But that aside, the first edition was a triumph. They just can't find anyone to say so. Perhaps unsurprisingly however, they're appealing for writers in this issue, so if I'm ever at a loose end and fancy churning out some rubbish (or "rubish" as they spelt it in the first issue) I might apply.

In the meantime, I've walked into town this morning to pay in my cheque and start spending my fortune. First on the list was a new pair of trainers, as my current pair were an 18th birthday present from my brother, and I'd rather replace them before they come of age themselves. Although on the plus side, they're so old I think they might have come back into fashion. So I bought a pair of Karrimor trainers ('The Great British Mountain Company' - made in China), slashed from £59.99 in Sports World to just £17.99. Which I'm sure is a genuine reduction, and not a marketing ploy at all.

Interestingly though, on the inside of the box it gives important information on the 'last', which is the 3D form on which they model the shoe. It claims that the last used to fashion my footwear, is "based on the norm for British feet", before adding "Continental and American lasts are generally too narrow for British feet".

Is that true? Do we have wider feet than the rest of Europe? And is that because we spend longer queueing? I find it hard to believe that the weight of the average American doesn't spread out their feet a bit, but I could be wrong. I'll ask my Sis to investigate.