I don't think the Radio Times is the worst magazine in Britain. It's probably one of the best. Whether you happen to like or not is a different issue. In fact, given the market conditions and the fact that its crown jewels (the listings) are now available everywhere, there's a strong case for saying it's one of the most successful titles in the UK.

And if its target audience were "middle England housewives" (which I don't think it is) what would be wrong with that? No popular media vehicle, whether it's the Ten o'clock news, the last Coldplay album or The Guardian, flourishes without being popular with "middle England housewives".

While I'm not so sure she'd be keen on the noun in your formulation, which seems to have been used pejoratively, I should point out that I am married to one such. In fact among my friends there are more "middle England housewives" than any other group. I know hundreds of "middle England housewives" and they are entitled to just as much respect as anyone else, particularly their feckless, free spending husbands.

Re: the economic downturn. The £50 guy now finds he gets far more for his money than previously. So that's good.

And "Gavin & Stacey: surely there is more than enough comedy on TV to make it quite easy to avoid the things you don't like...

Now cheer up, count your blessings and have a small sherry.

Surprised to see you still manning the pumps as it were. What time do you knock off at Word towers?

...for under a fiver at Amazon. Why bother scanning the RT in the vain hope of finding it broadcast at 01:30?

This stayed open throughout the London Blitz, earning the right to its motto "We never closed".

This was later modified by wags who said "We never clothed".

Ayethangyew.

I think it went through a bad patch about 10 years ago. The "RT Interview" with "interviewer of the year" Andrew Duncan was a bit suspect. Whenever he interviewed a woman over 40, he would always comment on their looks and age, "with her hair swept back, she is surprisingly pretty for a woman of her age". It was a all a bit smug.

Currently it is in better shape, though I find the "You ask us" section to be dubious, and Alison Graham's partiality towards Peter Kay means they deny giving his current project the critical mauling it should be getting. But that's not a big deal - it's still the best source of listings, covers the radio, always has good stuff on Doctor Who (did I just say that out loud?), has some good writers, and the back page interview is usually entertaining.

Who buys the Radio Times for the articles? Not me anyway. We get it as other TV listings mags are cheap and nasty of course and I think I'm automatically progammed to buy it through a lifetime of having it in the home. I do read the odd thing in it though, when I'm bored and have finished The Word. It's alright.

As for Gavin and Stacey, well clearly humour is a personal thing but we were really enjoying the last one and I was rather heartened, thinking what with G&S and Outnumbered maybe we've finally got some decent mainstream sitcoms again after all these years.

...I'll bet you're glad you brought that up...?

We buy it amongst other things for the cryptic Archers' previews, trying to guess what the episode will be about.

That's me told, then...

And for the record, I don't like Outnumbered (twee middle class self-indulgence) or sherry either, though singing along to "Do it again", "Overkill" and "On the Road again" on the kids Guitar Hero World Tour (Wii) has cheered me up a little this festive pm.

I caught a couple of minutes of G&S the other night by accident which consisted of the fat bloke knocking on the skinny bloke's door and launching into the rap from New Order's World in Motion for what appeared to be no reason whatsoever. The skinny bloke joined in and was soon joined by George Lamb's dad and a woman (I think).

This wouldn't really be a problem, except my pet hate is when a character in a tv show or film start singing something and then everyone else in the room (or car in the instance of Bo Rap in Wayne's World) smiling knowingly at each other and join in.

F**k right off and don't come back. Ever.

So I had to turn it over. I hope not to repeat the experience anytime soon.

... that you won't have shared my quiet delight at flicking through the channels halfway through Christmas Day (who can be bothered with listings magazines?) to find My Fair Lady followed by Oklahoma! on BBC2.

All together now.. "There's a bright golden haze on the meadow..."

that there was no showing of the Christmas episode of The Good Life. Christmas indeed was cancelled

It's very well subbed.

I remain undecided about Gav & Stace, although it amused me that Larry Lamb asked when EastEnders was on. Did he wish to watch himself?