NICK Park has caused Wallace and Gromit some fine how-do-you-do’s at number 62 West Wallaby Street.
That’s how I began a feature in December 1995 after a trip to BBC TV Centre in London to interview Nick and meet his two Plasticine stars.
“First the Lancashire film maker sent them off on A Grand Day Out, a cheesy Bank Holiday trip in a home-made rocket to the moon,” the article continued.
“Then inventor Wallace found himself in The Wrong Trousers facing a penguin, disguised as a chicken, who ended up behind bars in a zoo.
“Now double Oscar-winner Nick is giving them A Close Shave in a truly amazing adventure that seems certain to land him a third gold doorstop.”
Within months he was clutching that third Oscar and went on to win a fourth earlier this year for Wallace and Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit.
At that interview 11 years ago, Nick proudly clutched Wallace and Gromit in their red motorbike and sidecar – exactly as pictured above.

SURANNE Jones and the cast of her new TV drama will be nervously awaiting the verdicts of viewers and critics tonight.
Strictly Confidential pushes the boundaries with a six-part tale of sex and death.
Former Coronation Street star Suranne spoke about her latest project at a press launch in London last month.
She sat alongside co-stars Cristian Solimeno, who plays her husband Richard, and Tristan Gemmill, who takes the role of his brother Greg, plus writer Kay Mellor.
Oldham-born actress Suranne takes the lead as psycho-sexual therapist Linda Nelson and mostly took the part in her stride.

HAVE you got a ticket for An Audience With Take That?
If you have, you’re in an elite minority. Even some top celebs are having problems getting their hands on one.
For the first time in its history, the ITV1 show – to be broadcast on Saturday December 2 – will be screened live.

SOMETIMES real life can surprise you.
Take the three young girls I met recently in the restaurant of a posh London hotel.
All were a few hundred miles from home in Manchester…and light years away from their usual surroundings.
One is in the middle of a two-year anti-social behaviour order, better known as an Asbo.

JUST back from Spam sandwiches, fruitcake and a nice cup of tea.
The Imperial War Museum in south London was the venue for the launch of Victoria Wood’s new TV drama.
Housewife, 49, is a wartime film based on the real diary of a Lancashire housewife called Nella Last.
To be screened on ITV1 next month, it follows Nella’s life through the Second World War alongside her difficult husband, played by Shameless star David Threlfall.
“This is not the war of the newsreels – it’s about tiny domestic difficulties, chilly church halls, lumpy custard,” explained Bury-raised Victoria.

WILL the BBC’s big move to Salford really happen?
BBC director general Mark Thompson visited the site of the proposed Media City on Friday.
It was a sunny afternoon as we stood on a balcony at The Lowry, where this photo was taken.
“Today, with the sun shining, you can almost see the thing there across the water,” he told an audience of VIPs, business leaders and MPs.

LIFE continues as normal on the Chatsworth estate in the New Year.
The new series of Shameless is set to begin on Channel 4 in January, but there will be some changes.
Residents of Manchester’s most notorious estate have two new cops to contend with when smart and sexy Carrie (Amanda Ryan) and Tom (Michael Legge) arrive.
TV bosses revealed details of the 2007 series when Channel 4 launched its winter season of programmes yesterday.

ARE Coronation Street stars bitter about losing out again to EastEnders at the National TV Awards?
That’s what one paper has reported today. But it’s wide of the mark.
Tina O’Brien (pictured), who plays Sarah Platt, and her boyfriend Ryan Thomas (Jason Grimshaw) were among many Corrie cast members at the Royal College of Art post-awards party, which they are said to have “snubbed”.
Disappointed? Certainly. But bitter? That’s not a word I’d use.
Even so, ITV bosses are said to be angry that both Corrie and Emmerdale were beaten by the clearly below par BBC1 soap.

JUST what does Coronation Street have to do to win at the National Television Awards?
It was all fairly predictable at the Royal Albert Hall last night – aside from the emotional appearance on stage by the widow of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.
Terri Irwin received a standing ovation after flying in from Australia to present a lifetime achievement award to Sir David Attenborough.
Fighting back tears, she said: “I promised I wasn’t going to cry.”
Wildlife presenter husband Steve – killed in September by a stingray’s barb – had been a huge fan of Sir David’s.

SIR Trevor McDonald hosts the National Television Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London tonight.
I’ll be there for one of the biggest TV nights of the year, which is recorded for screening on ITV1 at 8pm tomorrow.
The red carpet arrivals begin at 6.30pm, with the ceremony due to go on to around 11pm.
That’s followed by the after show party for the celebs, their guests and TV executives.
You can read about all the winners in tomorrow’s MEN – and back here in this blog.