One of the good things about this time of year is the proliferation of 'gift' books. The type of books that feature quirky, oddities about life. Seeking out something for my dad's birthday, I came across 'The Book of Fascinating Facts'.

It should be called the book of alarming facts. It claims an apple a day can kill you because the pips contain cyanide, that bananas are radio-active as are mussels and brazil nuts, that bone China is really made from bones, albeit animal bones (as if that makes it better) and bluebottles can smell meat from four miles away.

That's it. I'm going on a chocolate-only diet - I couldn't find any bad news about that. Except that it is poisonous if given to dogs. As if, she'd have to fight me.