http://annapickard.co.uk Sun, 10 Jan 2010 01:15:49 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Johnny Depp mumbled, Robert Pattinson twinkled and James Cameron previewed his new film Avatar at the festival where everyone's dressed up as their favourite superhero The first sighting of James Cameron's Avatar (not mine) The popularity of the big movie panels in the convention centre's largest hall means that if you're not ... http://annapickard.co.uk/?p=166 For the third year in a row, I did the full series of liveblogs for guardian.co.uk. The links below represent all the ones I did - the ones when I was double-booked or otherwise indisposed we by Heidi Stephens or Carrie Dunn, and were ace, but clearly not mine to ... http://annapickard.co.uk/?p=176 HELLO THERE. THIS SITE IS CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED While I have been writing like a demon (as in "furiously, constantly and with great fervour" rather than "with fire shooting out of my ears while feasting on kittens") for the last 18 months, I have not, sadly, been keeping this site updated ... http://annapickard.co.uk/?p=165 [From guardian.co.uk's food blog, Word of Mouth] Is cheese the only food where an overwhelmingly onerous odour is considered a virtue? And were the judges right, or is there another, smellier cheese? According to breaking news this week, Stinking Bishop has been voted the most pungent cheese in the country by a ... http://annapickard.co.uk/?p=167 The murmuring is upbeat and expectant. It is like walking into a classroom to discover that your maths teacher is off sick, and the replacement they've brought in specialises in musical comedy. It shouldn't feel like that - of course, it should be the serious business of parliamentary debate - ... http://annapickard.co.uk/?p=158 [Observer Comment pages, Sunday March 30, 600 words] Last Wednesday, a posh lad with a floppy fringe was given his marching orders by a bearded barrow boy in an expensive suit. As the first contestant on the new series of The Apprentice slipped into history, more than six million people stopped ... http://annapickard.co.uk/?p=159 Anna Pickard is thrown out of Walthamstow dog stadium for not being a Tory. And all she wanted to do was meet Boris Johnson [For The Guardian Politics Blog, 600 words, March 28] This post was supposed to be the first in a light series of hustings adventures called Going on a ... http://annapickard.co.uk/?p=160 A key part of the guardian.co.uk/politics budget coverage [for guardian.co.uk, 850 words] Flicking through endless channels of people trying to buy houses they possibly shouldn't, selling family treasures to pay for holidays or shouting at each other about disputed parentage, you eventually hit upon the budget coverage. A man in a hat would ... http://annapickard.co.uk/?p=161 On the opening day of the Crufts dog show, Anna discovers prancing poodles and strutting St Bernards are among life's more entertaining sights. But don't for one minute think the owners are there for a laugh [for The Guardian News Blog, March 6, 2008] It is 11am on a Thursday and I ... http://annapickard.co.uk/?p=162 In 1891 Charles Cruft, travelling purveyor of fine dog cakes, decided the existing competitions open to compare British pooches were paltry in comparison to their European equivalents. So began the event that would grow to be the largest annual dog show in the world and would, to this day, bear ... http://annapickard.co.uk/?p=156