and I'm really looking forward to the cake stall at SG primary's mini spring fete this afternoon.

I hear the gingerbread's particularly good.

@ dominic - how long before I get tumbleweed?

OK. You've lost me.

Simon, me too. But there is no cake, is there?

Yes, I do - I'm all about video games - they're one of my major hobby interests.

Can't wait for Mario Kart Wii on April 11th!

The cake is a lie, Matt

Why is SimonB always indented?

I think avatars died when we moved servers ages ago. I'll reinstate something along those lines, but I fear your original avatar is gone forever Simon. I may add an anonymous one to all accounts which can then be customised or something.

I've removed the avatar nonsense for now.

dominic: current generation machines I own are Wii, DS and an Xbox 360 (plus more, older machines of course).

I don't have a PS3 - it was too expensive originally, and there are no exclusive games that might cause me to buy one. Wipeout HD might change that. Which brings me to answering your question: I play games, rather than machines.

So, most recently I've been playing Burnout Paradise (360), before that No More Heroes, Zack & Wiki, Mario Galaxy (all Wii) and some stuff on my DS.

My favourite machine is the DS by a mile.
The best/most-complete/fulfilling game I have ever played is Mario Galaxy.
My favourite games are Pang, Mario Kart (until next Friday?) and Sensible Soccer.

I think this could be my first desire to actually enter Eugene's Lair!

I'm making the leap to PS3 tonight. Excited/nervous at the prospect of money well/badly spent.

I've got a single screen Game and Watch.

I take it you've got it hooked up to a high definition TV?

Excellent stuff

What was the deciding factor in purchasing this setup?

@ andy - my cake thread's been hijacked by a load of geeks!

While we're on the subject of CAKE. I think that the Front Room would benefit from a little bit of psychological pricing vis a vis its cake selection. £3 seems rather a lot for a slice of cake, but £2.80's a steal.

I just had a slice of banana-walnut cheesecake at Good for Food. Heavenly!

hard to decide. I have added a poll to the top.

Why can't we live in cake-video game harmony?

Just got a Wii! Hooray!

OK. It's about cake.

I like lemon polenta cake.

What has Stroud Green come to that it is full of pretentious sods who like lemon polenta cake?

I like Rice Krispie Cake too.

Malt loaf's where it's at. Tasty, and if you spread it with marg rather than butter, pretty working class I reckon. It has to be Soreen though.

Though I am very happy with low rent cake, I mainly love Konditor and Cook cake (which the Front Room cafe sells - big plus in my book). If you haven't had their chocolate curly wirly cake, then seek out a branch immediately. Everything else they make is great too. Perhaps I should bring some to the SG residents sherry party?

What are rice krispie cakes?

Is that supposed to be Pac Man? It's shit. I could do better than that!

Go on then katiejane, put your cake where your mouth is. Bring it to the SG open day thingy to eat with the sherry.

I had a Space Shuttle for my 8th, think it was launching for the first time that year. It was a simple affair, a flat slab of sponge cut into wings and a tail, laid on the tray with a top, top swiss roll type ditty going on as the craft through the middle. The result was covered in chocolate.

I was so Bo, back then.

That is one hell of a cake.

I'm waiting for the photo of my cake.

Did one blow up by any chance and take all the kids with it? I'm starting to suspect any conversation that starts with cake can be taken to any other matter entirely quite effortlessly.

@ David - hooray for your mom - what a tremendous cake! And you don't look the least bit curmudgeonly! (sic)

Oooh - I feel a retro cake theme coming on, having seen those photos...bring on the French Fancies! Which reminds me, an acquaintance of mine was recently startled at the sight of someone eating a swiss roll like they would a chocolate bar or wrap. I thought this was the norm.

Mmm, Greggs Cheese and Onion Pasties.

I dunno. Used to be a better class of person at that place.

krazykappa: you can fence on the Wii in the game "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games"

I like Sausage and Bean pasties from greggs, with a Yum Yum for desert. Sadly, they don't sell Dr Pepper, Iron Bru or Pepsi.

Here it is - best cake in the world.

Frankly, the photos don't quite do justice to the intricacy of the original cake:

And for completeness, here's a picture of the candles being blown out, circa 1983

Absolutely marvellous! The cake is tremendous, but it's the check shirt/army jumper which has made my day.

Having seen the original photos tonight, it looks like an amazing cake (and made by Andy's dad - Poxy and Geoff, you've got 12 months to practice...).

Need another seven astronauts.

In the early 80s, I became the first 8 year old ever to order a latte in a Swindon Beefeater.

Actually, that may have been the first latte order in Swindon, full stop.

A milky coffee by another name - my dad was a college lecturer so had the same school holidays and always made us a milky coffee and gave us a jam doughnut from Keymarkets for morning tea during the holidays. To a backdrop of Jimmy Young on Radio 2.