A favourite CD

THE CD THAT My Good Lady and I play most frequently these days is - I'm somewhat surprised to admit - Top 20 Hits of the 50s.

There's something really appealing about this compilation; it cheers us up no end.

And I suppose, too, that with our interest in matters culinary, songs such as "Shrimp Boats" and "If I Knew You were Coming I'd've Baked a Cake" and "Jambalaya (on the Bayou)" have an obvious appeal.

The wonderful breezy innocence of these songs makes it perfect listening for when we pull the cork on a rich Chardonnay or a zippy Sauvigon, and the list of performers reads like a Who's Who of great American singing stars and crooners of yesteryear - from Dean Martin to Doris Day.

I make no apology for the catholicism of my musical taste - I seem to enjoy everything from grand opera to Amy Winehouse - but that this should be our most frequently played disc does leave me a little bemused.