A couple of illnesses on the team meant I was asked to help out with the Sunday Times theatre column this week. Great to have a chance to get my teeth into Ibsen and why we're still watching him today...

Sheku KM "The Arts Desk is such a valuable website for everything cultural.With its critics often venturing where other publications do not, it shines a much-needed light on the depth and breadth of the arts in this country. I'd really like to see it continue and to flourish." (pic: Chris O'Donovan)

Good to see the orange and pink light this morning rebelling against the Monday greyness.

This morning's light while I was getting the paper...

Finally caught the National Van Gogh exhibition last night. Such an eruption of life. Amazing that two years of manic production yielded such variety and originality at the same time. Inspired too on the curators’ part to have no captions.

Lovely light on the coast from Ramsgate to Broadstairs today...

Lovely light this morning. Very frosty and seasonal too #lovelylondon

I enjoy unconventional decorations for Christmas trees and was excited by this beetle in Liberty’s. But then I looked at the price. WTF?

Today is the day when after the sun sets in Utqiagvik in Alaska it won't be seen again till January 22, 2025. When it returns, the residents will celebrate with their traditional Welcome Back The Sun dance. #fascinatingarctic

Twelve years since interviewing Dr Zhivago. I chanced the trip to Paris, even though I was told he might refuse to be interviewed when I got there. Luckily he proved to be in a good mood. I'm smiling because I'm so damn relieved he was actually talking to me...

At Sainsbury's I notice that one protein bar's claiming to be a bomb, while another's claiming to make you 'PhD Smart'. Which seems like a contradiction contained within a wrapper. If you believe that eating a protein bar makes you PhD smart, how smart are you?!