I will be reading "I am born," the opening sentence of David Copperfield for the two hundredth time, staring in horror at the thousand or so pages which follow on, before placing it back on the bookshelf and reading something by Ian Rankin instead.

had some gruel for breakfast. Only the one serving though.

I read Sherlock Holmes this morning

Don't know, I've never been to one.

According to some talking heads on BBC News this morning he was "the first global superstar". WHAT? When did he tour China, Africa and many other parts of the globe? They will be burning his books in the colonies if he claims to be bigger than Jesus.

to kick some urchins.

I'm reading A Tale of Two Cities these days. A chapter or two every few days (far too busy reading The Word, Classic Rock and Uncut).

I respect Dickens' literary heritage, being a London Resident now for over 20 years. Re-reading Oliver Twist recently, I was struck by how much his social conscience and sense of outrage was reflected in his work. Wonderfully colourful and rounded characters and descriptive prose on locations and settings.

I regard him as one of the top quintessentially English novelists of all time - alongside Austen, Trollope, Greene, Waugh, Christie and DH Lawrence.

I've never even heard of this Dicken chap.

And really quite depressing.

So no, I won't be marking it.

Ever since my A' Level English teacher described as (in his opinion) the greatest novel ever written in the English language. I've always been slightly put off by the size and poor state of my old paperback copy of it, but do now have a free Kindle version, so really have no excuse not to get on with it!

I'll gaze upon my pseudonym and wonder questionably about its potential.

.

"Do you like Dickens?"

"Dunno, never been to one".

I'll get my coat.

I will be in the city of his birth.

I intend to spend the night there.

in Doctor Who. Haven't seen anything else he's been in

Two Ronnies

"In a packed programme tonight, I shall be having a word with a man who goes in for meditation, because he thinks it's better than sitting around doing nothing.

Then we'll hear from the man who attended the Charles Dickens nudist camp. He had Great Expectations but it was a very Bleak House and everyone laughed at his Little Dorrit!"

I plan to celebrate his bicentennial year by being substantially poorer than I was last year.

Too late to die in childbirth or be ruined and forced to go on the streets - oh, maybe not ... though the pickings might be a bit thin these days.