Garden tasks don’t get much simpler than growing potatoes, and you can grow them in a bin bag on even the smallest bit of outdoor space. If you’d like to try this year, about now is the time to start chitting, or encouraging seed potatoes to sprout.

The English National Badminton Championships start today in Bolton, a great reminder of those racquets gathering dust in the shed. Perhaps today’s the day to dust them off and try a game.

One of the very simplest pleasures is a long, hot bath. Switch off the TV this evening and lock yourself away for a nice, relaxing soak – and don’t forget to turn off your phone!

The Get Into London Theatre promotion, which runs until the end of the month, is a great opportunity to take in a West-End show or two – and perhaps even meet the actors – at a bargain price.

Europe’s largest fire festival, the Up Helly Aa, takes place in Lerwick, Shetland, today, with a whole series of marches and visitations, culminating in a torch-lit procession and the burning of a replica Viking galley.

I hope some of you are still reading this. The festival is simply great fun, Belinda from our team went last year and is still talking about it. The films will fill your mind and heart with wonderful amazement at what humans can actually achieve alongside nature, through the big screen you’ll visit remote cultures, be transported to the world’s last great wild places and experience amazing footage of adrenaline packed action sports, and according to Belinda all the people you meet will be just lovely. The World Tour of this film festival travels the globe every year visiting more than 390 communities and over 35 different countries, and is moving all round the UK between the 27th January and the 10th March (for tickets visit www.banff-uk.com).

One of the most important things I can say about the Banff Mountain Film Festival is that it’s impossible to describe it properly without flooding you with adjectives that you won’t believe… so just go and watch the video on their website.

The above photo is by Rogers Pass, B.C. © of Ryan Creary, and is pretty good don’t you think?!

January is nearly over now, so keep an eye open when you’re out and about to see if you can spot the first snowdrops of the year. If you do see any today, send us a photo for our gallery and you could win a yummy prize!

Whether you’re a fan of folk tales, classic literature or shaggy dog stories, National Storytelling Week is a fantastic celebration of communication and imagination. Why not see what’s on near you?