Why can't you have a sweet tooth when you are 50?!!

I REMEMBER hitting four-oh thinking what a fuss about nothing. They made a bit of a fuss at work in Southampton with a birthday cake in front of the editorial team, but that was about it.
When you hit the half century mark, suddenly you find your mind doing some life stock-taking; looking back at what you have achieved over the past 50 years, savouring the highs and cringing at the lows, agonising over the "what ifs" and, for the first time, possibly, considering your own mortality.
For me this introspective navel-gazing hasn't been too heavy. I've always believed if you keep looking over your shoulder you'll miss out on the opportunities lying in front of you.
But last Sunday I had a terrific run over the South Downs.
I'd dropped my son Ross back with his mum in Chichester, driven back towards Eastbourne and about 10 miles out from my destination turned down a small lane which meanders with a steep ascent to a spot on the Downs called Bo Peep.
From there I set out on a wonderful eight-mile run in the evening sunshine over the Downs towards Firle Beacon and Itford Farm on the main Newhaven road, before heading back.
A patchwork quilt of fields lay before me, and it was a magnificent sight. I've written about this rave run before but it is wonderful. Just sheep, a couple of cyclists and a guy with a paraglider as company on the route 1,000 feet up;
I returned home on a high, had a bath and then when I looked in the mirror I was aghast at how swollen my stomach was. A week of looking after Ross, 10 days of bourbon biscuits being stolen along with Cadbury's chocolate buttons had clearly taken their toll.
It wasn't vanity, but in proportion to the rest of my body, the added intake of sugar had now sat on my stomach as fat.
Ten years ago when I was working in Southampton, I would always work on a Saturday and before getting to work I would always pick up a couple of almond croissants, a box of Battenberg cakes, a carton of cranberry juice and that sugar-fest would get me through the day. I never had to worry about the Mr Blobby look.
Now if I tried that crazy diet, people would look at me in the street and call a midwife.
So, after dabbling with a sugar-free diet earlier this year, the brakes have firmly come on again with a far more disciplined approach.
The running is going great. Talk about having a pastime which keeps you young and fit, and running does it for me.
I am running with a fantastic group of guys in the New Forest most weekends, all of whom are faster than me and we're running in some terrific places.

And in midweek I'm loving the camaraderie of the Wednesday runs with Meads Runners in Eastbourne.
This past Wednesday, we had 30 runners of mixed abilities running at the foot of the downs in a place called Whitbread Hollow, with the sea running along one side and the Downs rising behind us forming an impressive backdrop, sweating our socks of on a 400 metre circuit doing Paarlaufs - a continuous relay, but with a posh name!
Myself and running partner Melissa finished a creditable fourth from the half-hour session which was so energising and terrific fun too. Sadly, it's just all being undermined by my sweet-toothed palate.
Five days in, it's working, but I can't deny I would love a couple of almond croissants for breakfast right now!

I see Jahmene Douglas is due to release his debut album "Love Never Fails" on July 22. It seems finishing runner-up in X-Factor has served the cheeky Swindon chappy well - what's happened to winner, James Arthur?
He's released one track, which is a cover version of Beyoncé's Halo which is very haunting and moving. www.vevo.com/watch/jahmene-douglas-1/halo-official-audio/GB1101300385

Having following Jahmene's career closely I hope the new album is a success. My only worry is that all the tracks on the album are covers, and I just wish that he had recorded some original material.
Because of his championing of domestic violence, and by wearing his faith firmly on his shiny jacket, I can see the former Asda shelf-stacker going far. Who knows, a presenter on Songs of Praise maybe?

On the subject of talent shows, it's the finals of Britain's Got Talent this weekend. In Eastbourne, we're wondering if ventriloquist Steve Hewlett, who just missed out on a final spot with his puppet Arthur Lager, will received a wildcard for the Saturday showdown.
Steve came into our newspaper offices last week with Arthur and was great. He gave a video interview for us, and there were certainly no airs or graces about this very amiable entertainer.

I enjoy watching Britain's Got Talent although bridle against the contrived process acts go through to get to the audition stages where many are being set up to fail from the greatest of heights - they have to go through at least three auditions with producers before even being seen by the BGT judges.
But what I can't figure is why Simon Cowell and the team are auditioning so many foreign acts.
It's Britain's Got Talent, for heaven's sake - so let's keep it British for Her Majesty!