The reason for creating this Top 5 five is the amount of memories, arguments, laughter and tears that this particular subject has generated in the office over the past couple of days. So rather than let it cool off and fade away I thought I’d capture it here for posterity.

Below – my top 5 TV shows from my youth – with links to theme tune vids (I hope these bring back some memories):

1. Chorlton and the Wheelies
2. Jamie and the Magic Torch
3. Bod
4. Rhubarb and Custard
5. Ivor the Engine

They're my Top 5 - what are yours?

We haven't had a top 5 for ages - so here's my top 5 mathematical symbols (number 4 is divide - I couldn't find the exact symbol so I had to improvise):

1.  +
2.  x
3.  -
4.  '/.
5.  =

The beauty of mathematics means - that in addition to getting a range of my favourite symbols in this list - if I run through the list in order using the functions and the order of numbers - I get the answer: 1.

Doesn't come any more elegant than that. So this has to be the top ranking order of symbols! Doesn't it?

Chatting to my cousin Caroline, and we were discussing our ideal dinner party. 

The situation is that you're having a dinner party, and you can get 6 people round your dining table.  One of those seats is yours, so who would you have in the other 5?

We both agreed that Stephen Fry is a must.  

But who would you have at your table?

 :???:

Well it wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't pay homage to the annual phenomenon of weird Christmas gifts. And let's be honest, the religious significance of Christmas has somewhat overshadowed the true commercial spirit of the season of late - so let's get cynical and hark back (as Harold the Angel would say) to a time (possibly late 80's) when questioning the relevance of the gift was a lot more fun than simply saying thank you, under duress.

And so… following a brief discussion on the same subject down the pub, where one individual told me that he and his brother received a pen-knife and an 18-rated romance movie from their grandfather when they were just 6 and 7; here are my starters for 5:

1. Pop-psychology books - offered to helpfully resolve the issues you never realised you had… it's enough to give anyone a complex
2. Odd shaped glasses - that are too tall to store in any normal cabinet, and too delicate to ever use
3. Any fruit in a brandy preserve - this stuff only ever gets eaten as a forfeit during vicious drinking games
4. A wall-mounted vase (It was nice enough, but when I opened the present a gift card fell out - addressed to the people who sent me the vase … they must have received it the previous year and simply re-wrapped it and passed it on!)
5. A goat - bought on behalf of you and donated to a third-world country. I'm with Karl Pilkington on this one who said, and I quote: "…who's happy at the end of this? You've got a fella over here who hasn't got a present - because his mate bought him a goat. He's not happy. Then you've got the person who's opened it who wanted summit else. It's a goat. They go, 'Tut who's going to look after this?' They're not happy. And you've got the goat, going ‘What am I doing here…?’"

(our first guest post from regular visitor Nobby)

Marmite has always been a controversial toast-topper, and the Love it-Hate it campaign has been totally over done - although it is so so true.

So, I was thinking about the deviation from using it just for toast  (which, admittedly isn't original any more). It seems almost everything is these days edible with marmite. 

My current favourite is a Cheese and Marmite panini from Starbucks. This is a variation of my own combination of cheese and marmite on toast, and is an exciting addition to the Starbucks panini range.

I was considering the other ways of utilising my love of melted cheese and Marmite combined for other late-night, post-drinking snacks. 

A moment of genius! Everyone's had marmite on crumpets, melted cheese on crumpets, put them together and you've got the perfect snaquette… a crumpet, toasted, spread with Marmite, topped with cheese and placed under the grill. 

Other uses for Marmite can be found on the official Marmite website, although I think they're missing a few tricks so, here's a few personal favourites, it does however, appear the cheese and marmite crumpet is in fact an original, a revelation, lovely stuff… Here's my Top 5 ways to enjoy Marmite:

1. Marmite and cheese on toast
2. Marmite and cheese crumpets
3. Marmite and cheese Panini
4. Marmite on toast
5. Marmite on bagels

How do you eat yours?

Ok my turn for a top five list… bit of thought required for this one I’m afraid as it’s a serious topic. Identify your top alcoholic drink for each of the following 5 categories specifying the best place to purchase it and the best time to drink it! Feel free to re-order, or introduce new categories if you feel it’s warranted - but I can’t see anyone disagreeing…

My categroies in order of preference:

1. Stout
2. Bitter
3. Lager
4. Cider
5. Short/Mixer

My list so far:

1. Guinness (anywhere in Ireland / anytime)
2. Boddingtons (from anywhere in Manchester / beer garden)
3. Becks (from the bottle, clubs)
4. Scrumpyjack (any from Somerset without gas / beer garden)
5. Vodka/Redbull (clubs only)