STEP AWAY FROM YOUR SCREENS PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE GOOGLE MR. FEZZIWIG GO OUTSIDE AND JUMP FOR JOY IT'S CHARLES DICKENS' BIRTHDAY

I loved every minute of the London Olympic opening ceremony - the Queen as Bond and Daniel Craig 'coughing' to get her attention. The chimneys  - a wonderful representation of our great industrial might - taking this little island from agricultural to world superpower.

The Great Ormond Street bit - you all KNOW I am sure J.M.Barrie made a bequest that the profits from Peter Pan would go to Great Ormond Street.

I loved Tim Berners Smith, Brunel all of it.

I cried with pride the whole time. Joy. One little tiny thing I might have included - a certain Charles Dickens.

Ugh some say. Not so happy experiences of wading through Bleak House at school. I get it. Revisit.

My life wouldn't be the same without this extraordinary man.

I want to start my own school and call it 'Fezziwig's'. School motto : 'Eat cake and dance.'

Dickens is so many things. Consider in his life he was not only prodigiously productive but also hugely commercially successful. He had the sense to 'tap into' the popularity of his work in America and undertake a reading tour.

He has the most wonderful, idiosyncratic no doubt difficult childhood. He had great humour - if you visit the Dickens Museum - now refurbished thanks I believe to lottery funding - you will see from his correspondence what a laugh he was.

His sister in law died sadly in her sleep at Doughty Street - perhaps from here derives his ( and my ) lifelong fascination with ghosts.

I'm totally biased bit looks like he had really good hair too.

Even if you find him unreadable everyone knows who Scrooge is. Probably Oliver Twist too.

I can't really write this very well because I can't really think straight as all I can think of is the wonderful gifts he has given me and all of us.

Quite often us Brits don't celebrate what we have - I have only just discovered ( yes I know ) James Corden and his carpool karaoke which is legendary. I talk about The Great Exhibition of 1851 virtually every day. Our great industrialists too.

Do one thing - I guarantee in most houses in the UK there is a copy of Dickens lurking. Have a look. Failing that google him. Even Dickens quotes.

I'm spending most of today with Little Dorrit.

I leave you with this from Mr Bumble, a reassurance that it is ok to cry. 

“It opens the lungs, washes the countenance, exercises the eyes, and softens down the temper, said Mr. Bumble. So cry away.”