2) "From 2 October, your Brand Match coupon will just compare our prices and deals on brands with Asda". I can't help feeling that "only" would be better than "just" in that sentence but can't find any definitive ruling on the matter so it may be down to personal preference. Of course, a more accurate syntax would be "From 2 October, your Brand Match coupon will compare our prices and deals on brands only with Asda" but that is arguably more clumsy.

3) A caller came to the door one evening. This is fairly unusual, as my flat is far enough away from the road such that callers don't often get down this far. Or maybe they've had so many "not interested" responses from the previous eight flats that they've given up. Anyway, when I answered the door the caller asked if I was "Mr Rubys". Well, that's close enough so I acknowledged that I was while determining that I wouldn't buy anything from someone who can't tell the difference between a surname and first name. But it turned out that he really was looking for a Mr Rubys - a Fred Rubys who had signerd a petition about the allotments. "No, that-s not me. a) I didn-t sign anything and b) I'm Ruby Barefoot not Fred Rubys.

4) A second case of mistaken identity came when I bought some milk and the co-op. As I paid the assistant asked "you're not Joshua's dad are you?" "No," I replied, "I'm not anyone's dad". Joshua, it turned out, was her daughter's boyfriend, though I never found out why she thought I might be his father.

5) Walking outside one evening I noticed that the level of light was about the same as when I get up in the morning. Furthermore, it was approximately 12 hours after (or before) the time I get up. Of course this was not surprising. We have just passed the equinox; there is roughly equal day and night. Therefore dawn will be twelve hours before (or after) dusk.

6) Mince Pies are on sale. I saw one box that is clearly aimed at the Christmas market (apart from the fact that mince pies are food that is associated with Christmas). The box is coloured red and white; it has a holly motif; the package refers to "two turtle doves". Despite all these Christmas references the pies are best before 13 October. No I don't get it either.