One of the problems of the length and hecticness of a autumn party conference is missing your favourite programmes on TV. Any television we do catch tends to be news coverage of the conference itself – and when I get back home (just as when I get back from a long day at work) I rarely want to watch politics.

Fortunately, as I don’t have a DVD recorder or a working VHS, the time-shifting iPlayer (they are pretty much all BBC) comes to the rescue. So despite the sun and Open House London outside, I’m working my way through my downloads.

I’ve got two episodes of Who Do You Think You Are?: Ainsley Harriott (which I’m halfway through) and David Suchet. There’s an episode of BBC Three’s sketch show The Wrong Door (with one more probably still to download), and the first episode of the new quiz show Only Connect.

There are two politics-related programmes: President Hollywood, which is excused because of its West Wing content, and Straight Talk with Simon Hughes which I downloaded because I didn’t know it had been on and which I may or may not ever get round to watching.

Back to Ainsley Harriott then…

Over on Random Acts of Reality, Tom asks “So, your turn now – tell me what is in your pockets when you go to work.”

As this is potentially the Most Exciting Meme Ever, and there’s nothing more suited to getting me to write a blog post than a meme, here’s what I have in my pockets when I go to work.

Front Left Trouser Pocket: My phone

Front Right Trouser Pocket: Cash

Left Outside Jacket Pocket: Keys (sometimes two sets) and usually a writing implement or two

Right Outside Jacket Pocket: My Oyster Card with debit and credit cards ill-advisedly tucked inside, along with some dog-eared business cards and my rail season ticket and photocard

Left Inside Jacket Pocket: My security pass (shh, don’t tell), and usually my passport and under-utilised notebook

Right Inside Jacket Pocket: My iPod Nano

I tend, rather anally, to always have those items in those pockets, so I never wonder where my keys/phone are. Which also goes a fair way to explaining why I usually wear a jacket even when it’s toasty.

What do you have in your pockets?

That should be very easy, Mr Straw, what with the UK being nowhere near New Orleans.

I was sad to hear via Twitter on Friday evening that Geoffrey Perkins had died.

Although primarily a TV and radio producer, Perkins was most recognisable to television audiences as Mike Flex on the BBC Two comedy show KYTV, which he co-wrote with Angus Deayton (and which was itself a transfer of their Radio 4 comedy Radio Active). He also appeared in episodes of Father Ted and The Catherine Tate Show.

On radio, he produced the hugely successful Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and – I only now learn – created I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue‘s signature game Mornington Crescent.

As a TV produer and executive producer, the shows he was responsible for included Spitting Image, Father Ted (on which he also worked a script advisor), The Thin Blue Line, The Catherine Tate Show, Big Train, Coupling and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.

He worked for Hat Trick and Tiger Aspect and spent six years as the BBC’s Head of Comedy. His incluence on broadcast comedy in the UK was huge and the TV and comedy worlds are much poorer for his loss.