Creativity: Are we having fun?

WE HAVE had such a wide and varied response to our request for 'Things People Think They Like Doing But Don't Really' that we can now provide a definitive list (unaccredited items were suggested by more than one person):

Exercising, gardening, Christmas, parties, Christmas parties, shopping, Christmas shopping.

Holidays, sunbathing.

Watching Arsenal ('an activity that consistently fails to satisfy the many thousands of deluded souls who call themselves Gunners' - T J Hughes).

Attending opera, ballet, outdoor concerts, fairgrounds.

Staying up late, being a student, reminiscing with former student friends (Iain Lorriman).

Sunday newspapers.

Eating out, eating at McDonald's, stand-up buffets, salads.

Breakfast in bed.

Foreign films; avant garde films, books or music (Tom Gaunt).

James Joyce's later works, Channel 4 News, drinking champagne out of paper cups at office parties, the first cigarette of the day, (all T J Hughes).

The Sound of Music (James Snowden).

Talking to children; talking to other people's spouses; other people's jokes.

Poetry (R Bannerman); non- rhyming poetry.

Travelling, driving, car boot sales.

Instant coffee, barbecues.

Post coitum omne animal triste (John Earle, venereologist).

Having earnest discussions about the Middle East (S Richards).

Playing Trivial Pursuit, watching chess on television, watching motor racing on television, watching almost anything on television.

Making lists; reading lists made by other people (B O'Riley).

Funny how nobody mentioned Morris Dancing.

It all raises the question of whether there is anything left for people genuinely to enjoy, but perhaps such a list should wait until a later date.

Next week, we shall report on unusual uses for lawyers (which are surprisingly useful things judging from readers' responses). In the meantime, we should like to know what to do with hair. Seeing the piles of trimmings swept up from hairdressers' floors, there is a potential European hair mountain waiting for a bright idea or two. Suggestions should be sent to: Creativity, The Independent, 40 City Road, London EC1Y 2DB.