Not the last post

After 23 years with The West - most of them as a columnist - I figured a cold-turkey retirement wasn't going to cut it.
And it's hard to think of a better way than blogging to have a laugh/vent spleen/keep in touch with everyone.
So, if you've come here via my final column: a big hello and welcome to my blog. I'd love to hear from you via the "comments" thingy at the bottom of each post, just be aware that your comments may not appear immediately because I'll be having a look at them first.
A columnist's job often translates to "loony magnet", so I'll feel better if I can check things out before they're posted. This doesn't mean you can't criticise or disagree - I'll only be chucking out the gross and the really nasty.
Oh, and if you're wondering about my headshot at the top of this page, as opposed to the headshot at the top of my column, it's because the column pic was taken six years ago and involved make-up applied with a trowel (it's particularly scary when viewed full size - I look like a tranny).
This new pic is me as I am - middle-aged, un-made-up and pretty bloody ordinary.