Five Leaves has just been short-listed for the Nottingham Creative Business Awards in the “writing and publishing” section. This new scheme to promote local arty types was started last year but I did not apply the first year, wondering whether Five Leaves was a Creative Business, as opposed to, meh, a creative business.

So the small press banner will be proudly waving at the ceremony at Nottingham City Council on October 1st. I would invite you along but extra places cost £60 a head and the Arts Council might have something to say about that if you all came.

But win or lose, it is the taking part that matters, as the Tibetans say about their long match with China. If I win this will be my first prize since I won a runners-up medal at the Hawick Boys Brigade 7-a-side rugby competition forty-something years ago. I hate rugby, and disliked it even then but the team was one short and I was press-ganged. Someone remarked after seeing me play that they did not know I could run so fast. Before the competition I did not know I could run at all, but what else can you do if you pick up that weird shaped ball and seven big vicious looking youths start running towards you shouting. We might even have won the final if I had not dropped the ball at a crucial point. Well, it was covered in mud.

I hope that October 1st is a more demure affair. At least I won’t have to wear shorts during it and endure a communal bath after the event.