Sorry to be contrary, Mary, but the NHS doesn’t figure anywhere in the story. 

She didn’t have to go to the same surgeon.  She was advised to do so by the private healthcare provider who’d cocked up the original procedure.   

Like a lot of Brits, I first watched Susan Boyle’s original performance on Britain’s Got Talent on YouTube and was completely bowled over. I watched the semi-final that she was on and was also very, very impressed by them.

Whilst I am sure there were some people who voted for other acts from a spiteful "tall poppy syndrome" perspective, there are also many, many people who voted for Diversity because they honestly felt they were the best.

I’m sure Susan Boyle will have a successful career and I’ll be buying her album, but let’s not take anything away from Diversity, whose original choreography and incredible discipline is worthy of respect.  They’re all very young, and  their win  puts two young lads in particular, in the spotlight with all the pressures that brings.  I wish them every success, as I also wish it for Susan.

Hey, we banned a man who thinks autism can be cured by a father telling his child "Don’t act like a moron".  You banned a man who took "Morning Has Broken" to No. 1.

No need for the paranoid hatespeak. 

Here in the UK, the media response to Mrs Obama’s fashion choices has been just about universally positive, even ecstatic.  Being more than ready to nick a good fashion idea, I worked her Liz Claiborne pink cardigan, black trousers and belt look for a research meeting at Oxford University just today.

Maybe we’re just less prissy about protocol. 

I’ve been an avid reader of whodunnits since I discovered Christie’s The Body In The Library when I was aged about 11.  I seemed to spend most of the nineties reading Ellis Peters, which led me onto Susanna Gregory and Michael Jecks.  I loved Kate Ross’s Julian Kestrel books.

More recently, I discovered C J Sansom’s Matthew Shardlake novels.  In fact, I had the latest pre-ordered in hardback which is very unusual for me.  There was some talk of the BBC dramatising them with Kenneth Branagh as Shardlake.  I had mixed feelings; Branagh just doesn’t look at all like I’d pictured Shardlake, but he’s a wonderful actor and likely to do the character justice.  However, he seems to have been Sidetracked (sorry, dreadful pun) into playing another detective Kurt Wallander, and the project seems to have been put on hold.

Have to agree with Rita.  I want to look my best, but I’m 55 so I’m perfectly content to look the best 55 I can.

If I tried to look 35, I’d probably look ridiculous and desperate.  Mutton is just not a good look.

LOL at Susan Crawford and her British actors playing detectives.  Mind you, it made me think of all the actors whose presence on my TV is wOw-worthy here in the UK.

Jason Isaacs, Adrian Lester, David Tennant, David Morrissey, Rufus Sewell, David Oyelowo, Greg Wise…

Susan, if they’ve got to be detectives, check out Nathaniel Parker as Inspector Linley.

I’ll take Alan Rickman, and keep him all to myself.