There are many things I like doing, some by myself and some with other people. Gradually preferences change and at some times one activity is preferred over another.

I suppose I am old fashioned. I enjoy a good book or doing a jigsaw as much, if not more, than watching TV or playing games on a console or even using the computer. That is not to say I do not enjoy those other things. Socialising and the way we interact has changed much but if we watch what children enjoy we can see that some of the old fashioned things still have their places.

Books, for example, either give information, tell stories or show us pictures. Many have combinations of these. Stories that are made up, fiction, are probably those I enjoy the most. The difference between reading and, say, a film, is that of graphics. If you watch a film you are presented with the images but when you read a book your own mind fills in the scenes. With a film you hear the actors voices but with a book you imagine the voices (unless someone is reading to you). With a film you are often presented with complete scenes whereas with a book you get parts of the scene as its description develops. Books also have different feelings about them. Gormenghast - part of a trilogy written by Mervyn Peak - as well as having a slow but powerful story is full of description and gives the reader (well it did me) a feeling of exploring as much as following the story. Lord of the Rings, that classic by Tolkien, almost straight away gives me a feeling of being completely in a different world, a world that is complete and solid. Some books have a frenetic quality that makes me want to read them as quickly as possible whereas others are good for reading a chapter, say, and then leaving for a while allowing the mind to play with what had been read so far. Topical information I am happy to get from a computer. For more solid and less fleeting information I prefer reference books like a dictionary, atlas or encyclopedia. I prefer viewing painted or drawn art on the printed page to that on the monitor screen. If I am in a hurry for some information I am likely to use the computer but that is because of an outside constraint - time. Funny thing time, I must rabbit on about that somewhere else.

Now I suggested watching children and seeing what they like. Virtually every child I have known prefers a story being read to them than watching a video. Many even enjoy reading bits of the story as well. Instinctively they are learning. Not just from the book but from the situation. They are learning social interaction. It does not spoil the story when the reader gets something wrong and corrects it. Children love it when the reader makes up voices for the characters and some then like making up their own voices and some even complain and tell the reader they are using the wrong voice. Often they are right. Reading then is a good form of socialising with a child. It used to be more than that on the social front. Many places had regular social events where a person read a book or poetry. It could and often was a family affair where one of a family would read to the rest. I first heard of Robin Hood through my father reading the story to our family rather than later seeing it at the cinema.

My computer is more of a tool than a means of entertainment, unless I am creating 3D artwork or programming. The social networking side of a computer just leaves me cold so I use facebook but refuse to twitter and, as far as I can see, virtually anything can be called a blog if it is on a computer and there for folk to see. Bulletin Boards are useful but generally not very entertaining and email is useful so falls in the tool category - I prefer real mail anyway but that is just me! The sending of virtual cards for birthdays and events is a waste of time (but makes someone else rich) and sending them instead of a real one - or better still a brief letter - is almost an insult, e.g. "I have sent you this virtual birthday card because I can't be bothered to go out and choose one, then write in it and then send it to you through the post and trying to think of what to put into a letter would even be more effort!" As for games on a computer - or even a games console - well I enjoy them for very short whiles and then I get bored with them. A few months later I may enjoy them for a while again, and so on. The same applies to jig saws.

Television generally irritates me. I only watch occasional programs and often miss ones I may have enjoyed watching simply because I do not think to look. Some folk must, it seems, have a TV on in their home. Almost as though they feel alone without it. Not me. I like the occasional series and some sport. Even nature programs, no matter how well done, no longer appeal. The horrendous dumbing down of the television content, especially the money grabbing reality television (Why reality?) is doing more harm to our society than soaps and boy have they a lot to answer for!

If I can I prefer to see a film at the cinema before I watch the DVD. I like films of all types but seem to prefer quirky ones. The musical, "Sweeny Todd" and the film "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" are examples of what I mean. I also thoroughly enjoy old films like "Citizen Cain" and "The Cabinet of Doctor Calligari." Other relatively recent favorites are "Sin City," "Confucius" and "District 9." I have recently (late 2010) become hooked on the Studio Gibli films like "Spirited Away," "My Neighbour Totoro" and "Ponyo," as much for their insight into other culture as well as the well crafted and pretty original stories. These are but a few and merely give a taste of my film preferences.

I like decorating. Yep! I actually enjoy all that work involved in decorating. I also enjoy the satisfaction of getting a place just right for me. To me rooms and houses have certain feels to them and I feel a need to decorate them accordingly. While we are on about property I also enjoy a bit of gardening. I am not very good at this but given time eventually get a garden producing the variety of color along with some support for wild life that I desire.

As this seems to have wandered outside I will add here that I enjoy walking, from a local stroll, a day's ramble to hill walking for a few days at a time. I also enjoy exploring and have spent a lot of time exploring different parts of the Midlands recently.

I do not do much sport. If I know of a club where I could play table tennis and knew someone to go with then I would. If I go swimming I prefer to go as part of a group and that does not happen often but I do get exercise through the walking so it is no big deal. I may take up bowling - depends on cost really - but Ten Pin bowling is too frenetic for me. Most sports involving a ball I have hated or disliked, though I will enjoy watching some of them. Generally put a ball near me and I will do the completely wrong thing with it! When we played football in the streets toddlers would be chosen for teams ahead of me! To me Rugby seemed like legalised violence and cricket plain suicidal! I only once attempted to catch a ball while fielding in cricket. Dislocated some fingers and broke another! They tried me in batting but I invented new ways to get out! At prep school they gave up. Taught me how to score the game and I became the person who kept the score of all inter school games.

Now if you want boring sports (boring to do and even more boring to watch) how about golf and fishing. Way worse than watching darts or pool. OK so I have now alienated most of the male population of the British Isles and quite a few elsewhere. But these are MY opinions. For me pool is fine in a poolroom with some mates. Again for me darts is great played with friends in a pub occasionally. I have even been known to enjoy watching cricket (aggro match between two villages and from the vantage point of under a shady tree outside a pub on a hot summer day).

My main sport that I follow is Formula One Grand Prix. I enjoy almost every aspect of it even though it is a colossal waste of money (in general) and even though it is bad for the environment. Unfortunately the current financial situation means that the BBC is not going to be showing it all next year but have done a deal with Sky who will. As I really cannot afford to pay out more that is a pleasure that I will miss a lot of. The other sport I enjoy watching is American Football. Unfortunately we do not get to see a lot of it over here and there is damn all shown on the free TV. (I refuse to have Sky for a number of reasons but that is not for here.)

Finally I enjoy table top role play games and LARP but do not generally enjoy war gaming, paint ball or BB.