I don't know Massive, surely a firm surface is best for a bad back?
Do you think stairs would do? Not sure I'd get as far as the kitchen if I had that kind of assistance (also don't have a kitchen table and suspect that ceramic tiled flooring might be taking the hard surface a bit too far!). Although I do have plenty of worktop space...
Back not too bad now but it was pretty uncomfortable after I did the shopping so got v. little sleep, and was out last night. Didn't want to post at lunchtime as I hadn't had a chance to look at the last few links.
That Hardy poem was very touching - I had a lump in my throat by the end.
The vid - yummy! And very apt 
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As for Nicolette Sheridan - my gut reaction was 'cobblers'!. Obviously in an ideal world it's nice if actors and writers can work together, but at the end of the day an actor is an employee, hired to bring to life someone else's creative vision. I would be shocked and disappointed if I was made redundant - that doesn't give my employer any less right to make that decision if they feel it necessary. It also doesn't necessarily mean they've made the correct choice but that's life.
I think the way they wrote Lucas out of Spooks was utter rubbish, but I'd still defend the writer's choice to do that over RA's right to sue if he'd been barking enough to take that kind of action. And tbh, as time has gone on I've increasingly been able to make sense out of the character's change, even though I personally would have taken a different route.