My Top 10 Favourite Tastes

Some tastes never leave you. They settle in your memory like old friends—always there when you need a bit of comfort, joy, or something deliciously familiar. Today, I’m counting down 10 of my all-time favourite tastes, from fizzy comforts to breakfasts that warm the soul. Let the countdown begin!

10. Coke Zero
That first fizz on the tongue. The tingle. The zing. Coke Zero has always been my go-to refresher, whether I’m snuggled under a blanket watching Roobarb or sipping it beside a picnic spread. It’s the taste of modern comfort in a can.

9. Cake
Whether it’s chocolate fudge, Victoria sponge, or even a slice of cherry cake after breakfast like Roobarb would have, cake is my celebration taste. I like it soft, generous, and eaten with a big smile (and possibly a finger swipe of frosting when no one’s looking).

8. Hot Cocoa
A mug of hot cocoa on a quiet day is more than a drink—it’s a hug. Sometimes I add milk and biscuits. Sometimes I just sip in silence and let the chocolatey warmth do the talking. Especially good after a seaside breeze or a bedtime story.

7. Chicken Bites
The crispy kind, warm from the oven or tucked into a picnic box. There’s something joyful about them—like little golden pockets of happiness. I always reach for them when I need something simple and satisfying.

6. Pork Cocktail Sausages
Plump, juicy, and full of flavour. Whether they’re packed up for a road trip or laid out with sausage rolls and cheese sandwiches, they’re a proper party-on-a-plate food. They’ve earned their place in every picnic I dream up.

5. Choco Puffs – The 'Monster Chocolate Taste'
Gone, but never forgotten. This Sugar Puffs spinoff had the boldest, most mischievous chocolate flavour I’ve ever known. Like eating cereal in a monster’s chocolate cave. I can still hear the crunch and taste that wild, sweet hit of cocoa. Bring them back!

4. Chocolate Bars
Oh yes—this one’s timeless. Whether it’s creamy milk chocolate, dark and dreamy squares, or a cheeky little bar after dinner, chocolate just knows what I need. It’s not just a treat. It’s a moment.

3. Sausage Rolls
The flaky pastry. The warm, herby filling. Sausage rolls are the stuff of cozy mornings and garden lunches. They remind me of visits with my support worker, breakfast chats, and telling Stan the dog to get his paws off the table.

2. Cornflakes
The king of breakfast calm. Especially when paired with chocolate milk and followed by a slice of something sweet. Cornflakes aren’t just cereal—they’re a golden blanket in a bowl. Pure routine. Pure love.

1. Bacon
And here we are. Number one. Bacon. There’s no competition. The smell alone is enough to lift my spirits. Crispy, smoky, a bit salty—nothing makes me feel more at home. It’s the taste of mornings, camping adventures, and everything good sizzling in the pan.

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So there you have it—my top ten tastes.
Each one tells a little story, wrapped up in crunch, warmth, fizz, or sweetness. What are your favourite tastes? Do they bring you memories too?

Let’s keep tasting the good stuff. 💛

Podly's Island: Now There's A Thought

I've been thinking about Podley lately. You know, the gruff but good-hearted desk chief from Space Precinct. Always holed up in the control room, barking orders at Brogan and Haldane, trying to keep order in the madness that is Demeter City. He’s not exactly built for sandy beaches and sunshine, but what if, somehow—maybe a freak teleportation mishap, or a downed cruiser during a solo mission—Podley ended up stranded on a desert island?

First off, the image alone is hilarious. That big frog-like Creon body of his, sitting under a palm tree with his uniform rumpled, webbed feet half-buried in hot sand, staring out at the ocean with a deeply unimpressed frown. You just know he'd grumble something like, "This is not in my job description."

But the thing about Podley is—beneath that crusty, bureaucratic exterior, he's sharp, level-headed, and deeply resourceful. He’d complain at first, probably muttering to himself about budget cuts, incompetent engineers, and why on Altor they let him go out on a field assignment in the first place. But then, slowly but surely, he'd shift into survival mode.

The uniform jacket would come off, sleeves rolled up. He’d find a big stick and immediately declare it his “Command Baton.” He’d start organizing his surroundings like it was Precinct 88 all over again. I imagine he'd assign zones around the island: one for sleeping, one for food collection, one for “operations”—which is just him sitting on a rock scanning the horizon for a rescue ship with a homemade periscope made from bamboo and broken visor lenses.

He'd keep a daily log, of course. Scribbled on palm fronds, bark, or anything he could find, in that neat, slightly grumpy handwriting of his. “Day Twelve. Still no sign of rescue. Ate something that looked like a Flarn beetle. Regret everything.”

And then there’s his sense of authority. Even if he’s the only one on the island, Podley would still try to maintain order. I bet he’d talk to the local wildlife as though they were rookies under his command. A crab walks past? “You! Patrol the perimeter. And stay out of the food rations.” A seagull swoops down and steals his snack? “I will file a formal complaint with Central Command, bird!”

And yet, underneath it all, I think the solitude would crack something open in him. There’s a quiet loneliness to Podley, always behind that desk while others go out and take risks. On the island, away from constant alerts and reports, he might allow himself to just… stop. Watch the waves. Listen to the wind. Feel something soft in himself that he's not usually allowed to show at work.

Maybe he even finds a moment of peace. Sitting on a rock at sunset, sipping coconut water from a carved-out shell, watching the pink sky ripple across the sea. He might grumble out loud just to keep up appearances—“This is absurd. Ridiculous.”—but secretly, he lets himself smile.

And then, of course, the rescue ship would appear on the horizon. Maybe it’s Brogan and Haldane in a beat-up cruiser, waving like mad, thrilled to find him alive. As they land, Podley would stand, brush off his trousers, and announce, “Took you long enough. Now get me back to my desk.”

But I like to think there’d be a beat—a tiny beat—where he looks back at the island, just once, before boarding. Not with regret, but with quiet recognition. A memory of stillness. Of being alone, but not afraid. Of finding a kind of balance between control and surrender.

Podley on a desert island. It sounds like a silly what-if, but really, it’s a gentle reminder that even the toughest desk chiefs need a break. Even the ones with webbed hands and an endless stack of reports.

He’d survive. Grumble, organise, adapt, and endure.

Because that’s just who he is.

81-90: Fun Ways To Keep Cool

81: Have a bath in ice water

82: Taste a unique yet cooling flavour of ice cream

83: Shove an ice lolly or a ice cold drink down your shirt

84: Go to a water park to keep cool

85: Wear a vest and pants all the day through

86: Buy a chocolate milkshake at the newsagent's

87: Splash your sweaty face with cold water

88: Go out into the garden and run around the sprinkler

89: Spend the entire day in just your pants

90: Research awesome ice cold treats from around the world

71-80: Celebrating The Die-Cast Thunderbird 4 Model

71.Raise a glass of fizzy drink to Thunderbird 4

72.Write down tips on how to avoid Gordon's bullying

73.Pretend you're piloting Thunderbird 4

74.Write a thank you letter to Corgi

75.Look at your reflection in the water

76.Imagine snuggling next to Lady Penelope

77.Give your favourite Thunderbirds character a kiss

78.If you have fish, pretend Thunderbird 4 is swimming in their tank

79.Draw fanart of Marina from Stingray with Thunderbird 4

80.Pretend to nuzzle your favourite Thunderbirds character

61-70: Slomo's Stone Tomb

61.Pretend you're wandering the desert

62.Practice unleashing Slomo from his stone tomb

63.Do some Egyptian moves to 'Across The Desert', a piece of music from Disney's Dinosaur

64.Draw some desert hallucinations

65.Research desert animals

66.Pretend to be a desert animal and imitate how they move

67.Go to the swimming pool and pretend you're splashing about in a lake full of water

68.Go rock climbing and imagine you're climbing a canyon wall

69.Invent desert clothes for your favourite Space Precinct characters

70.Listen to Arabian desert music

51-60: Making Tidying Your Room A Breeze

51.Have a race to see who can clean the room first

52.Find items in your room themed around each colour in the rainbow

53.Pretend you're Superman helping someone clean their room

54.Pick a Disney character of your choice and pretend you're the chosen character, cleaning the room in his or her special way

55.Pretend you're a litter picker in the park

56.Sing a song while tidying your room

57.Host a game show to see who can finish tidying the room first

58.Pretend you're doing kung fu, mastering the art of tidying

59.Whenever it gets too hard, take a break every now and then

60.Pretend the nooks and crannies in your room are evil monsters wanting your stuff for dinner

41-50: Packed Lunch Shapes

41.Dinosaur veggies

42.Train-shaped salad sandwiches

43.Flowers made out of cheese and tomatoes

44.A smiley face on a yogurt lid

45.Chicken Bite smiley faces

46.Sausage rolls in the shape of Disney characters

47.Campfires made with pork cocktail sausages, cheese and tangerines

48.Unicorn biscuits

49.Twiglet wizard wands

50.Mini Swiss roll rockets

31-40: Slomo Raises You In The Jungle

31.Imagine cuddling with Slomo in a bed of leaves

32.Have a bath and imagine swimming in the lake with Slomo

33.Watch Space Precinct, followed by Disney's Tarzan

34.Listen to jungle sounds

35.Listen to rainforest lullabies

36.Go for a walk in nature

37.Pretend to be a wild animal

38.Lie outside on the grass in a peaceful place

39.Read Space Precinct: Alien Island

40.Pretend moisturizer is 'Robot Body Cream'

21-30: Fun Things To Celebrate Thomas' 80th Anniversary

21.Pretend to be a train

22.Write Thomas fanfiction

23.Watch old Thomas episodes from the model era

24.Play with Thomas toys

25.Bake a birthday cake for Thomas

26.Listen to the 'Island Song'

27.Watch 'Calling All Engines' and 'The Great Discovery'

28.Make a cardboard box train

29.Do a Michael Angelis impression

30.Watch old recordings of Thomas on CITV and Nick Jr

11-20: Zhu Zhu Pets On Kabillion

11.Write an email to Kabillion

12.See if Zhu Zhu Pets really IS on Kabillion

13.Watch Zhu Zhu Pets: Quest For Zhu on DVD

14.Watch Piper's Pony Tales on Youtube

15.Do some Zhu Zhu themed yoga

16.Pretend to be a horse

17.Pretend to be a hamster

18.Get out your old Zhu Zhu Pets toys

19.Make a marble run, but for Zhu Zhu Pets

20.Watch Strange Hill High if you love Piper's Pony Tales

1-10: Gerry Anderson Bedtime Fun

1.Read books from Anderson Entertainment

2.Listen to Gerry Anderson audiobooks

3.Watch your favourite Gerry Anderson shows

4.Pretend to play hide and seek with Slomo

5.Imagine being cuddled by Lady Penelope

6.Draw your favourite character

7.Listen to lullabies

8.Imagine Slomo cuddling with you in the softness of your bed

9.Wrap yourself up in a blanket and pretend to cuddle your favourite character

10.Say goodnight to your favourite Gerry Anderson characters