Recently by Giles Broadbent

By Andrew Williams

The end is nigh. If you haven't already stocked up on tinned goods and bolted the cellar door, you may as well get ready to take part in a real life recreation of 28 Weeks Later. There have been lots of health scares in recent years, from Sars to bird flu to BSE, and now we have swine flu too.

The Tide Of War
Seth Hunter
Headline Review, £19.99
4/5

"Not adequately restrained by such a challenge, Peake garners more along the way - including encounters with pirates, rebels and the seductive Sabine Delatour."

By Bernard Wilkes

Chateau Ka Rouge
Lebanon, currently £7.99

"Full bodied, but not austere, this is a versatile red for accompanying red meat dishes, beef steak in particular."

Giles Broadbent is killing time

When I'm feeling down and pointless - but not quite down enough to warrant something reckless like booze or self-harm - I play a little game to pitch me back across the five-bar gloom gate.

I call it the "Obitz" and the aim is to make a tally of your life's worth. Fun for all the family.

Hanging Hooke, Greenwich Theatre
4/5

"Chris Barnes took us on a journey of energy and intrigue. He showed us light and gloom; diverting particles and heliocentric heresies; vacuum pumps and broken hearts (which, I suppose, are the same thing, metaphorically speaking)"

By Andrew Williams

Times are tough all round, and I'm often asked what effect the financial situation is having on the events business.

Of course there have been some high profile casualties, but like most agencies we're keeping our heads above water so far.

By Bernard Wilkes

Domaine de Buganay
Provence, France, £6.39

"The nose has soda pop and strawberry tart notes. The palate is clean and dry with cherry flavours and a very moreish, crisp finish."

Commuters faced major problems getting to Canary Wharf and beyond this morning. A signalling problem at Canning Town halted all services from Beckton and Woolwich Arsenal. A rail replacement bus service took some of the strain and the service started to get back to normal mid-morning with DLR reporting minor delays.

You have an idea. It's a good one. Not original, but that's not a problem because you have a fresh angle - and maybe in your own small way you can influence things. Maybe a little.

But the idea takes hold. It has traction. Suddenly your idea, encapsulated in a book with a catchy title, is the talk of the town. And not just any town - but Washington DC.

Conspiracy drama
Starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck
4/5

"Unlike the movie, you're all over the place, dealing with more twists, turns and close shaves than a confused man on a Rascal trying to find the loos at Alton Towers."