The Gardeners' World Blog

It's a bit longer journey back to London this year and I'm writing this on a train passing through the Midlands on a frosty, misty morning that says Christmas is just around the corner. If proof were needed, a Virgin Trains chaplain has just appeared along with an entire choir singing carols - except in coaches A and B where there's overcrowding...

But top of the agenda: thank you, Liverpool. The city did us proud last night in hosting Sports Personality of the Year. It was a wonderful arena with great facilities, and every impression I got was that the audience there - and the sports stars - had a ball. Liverpool's papers liked it too.