Day 12 and still no cigarettes - I think I am really going to do it this time.

The only really bad moment was when I got to work one day and realised that I had forgotten to put my patch on.

These, for the non smokers among you, are nicotine soaked Band Aids which you stick on your tummy (or anywhere else you fancy) each day if you are giving up smoking.

It relieves the nicotine craving and stops you murdering people while you go through the first throes of deprivation.

Anyway, after the initial panic I managed to last the day without succumbing to the desire to nip down the newsagents for a packet of ten and went home feeling very proud of myself.

For some strange reason not smoking means I have also not been biting my nails and they are starting to grow for the first time in years.

I have always had the sort of hands you hide behind your back in company in order to conceal the ugly chewed frondy bits on the ends.

Daughter has beautiful hands, with long fingers and long nails to match. She likes to paint her nails different colours and designs during the holidays.

Anyway they have started growing now I have simultaneously stopped smoking and chewing so I daringly put just a little bit of neutral polish on them yesterday.

It was good fun walking round all day with nails like all the other grown-ups and a good incentive to keep my hands out of the fag packets in the future.