The week starts here

From Hodgkin to Hogg, from Travolta to something bizarre in Shropshire, this is the page to help make sure you don't miss out on anything you don't want to miss out on

Sad to be grey

Theatre: If you haven't seen the Howard Hodgkin exhibition by now, where have you been? The vast swathes of colours amidst a grey winter and grey Hayward Gallery are too wonderful and vast to be ignored. Our critic wrote: "Like the smile of the Cheshire Cat in Alice, a generalised light-drenched mood seems to be transmitted from the paintings." Soon you'll be too late; it closes this Sunday. Hayward Gallery, London. Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Tue & Wed until 8pm. Tickets pounds 5, pounds 3:50.

Angel face

Film (here): Reaffirm your faith in lurve with John Travolta's new film Michael (nationwide from Friday). It's a tale about an angel with an endearingly human taste for booze, women and cigarettes.

Film (there): The Berlin Film Festival is in its final week. Look in the "Forum" section for young directors. Also Panna & Nikt, by the Polish director Andrzej Wajda, on 23 February. Fly from Heathrow on Thursday for the last three days of the festival for pounds 112 return with BA. For the festival: 00 4930 25 48 92 50

Pigging out

Pop: The Longpigs' gig at London's Forum is already sold out. There will be a few pounds 8.50 tickets at the door on Thursday if you'd like to see the angsty, Sheffield indie guitar quartet in action.

Tutti frutti

Opera: Spring is here! Farewell to the wintry darkness of Palestrina and Lohengrin at the Royal Opera House (19 and 22 February 6pm). Welcome Jonathan Miller's light pastel-coloured Cos fan Tutte (21 February to 19 March, 7pm, pounds 19.50 - pounds 100).

Still One-derful?

Listening: Today we'll discover whether there's life after the Ginger One-derful. Chris Evans has deserted Radio 1, and so have 500,000 listeners. Today we get the sounds of the north at breakfast with Mark Radcliffe. What's Tony Blackburn up to these days?

Superwoman. Superman?

Reading: Cosmopolitan, the magazine that taught women to juggle orgasms, men and work has a long-distance competitor. If you are in Shropshire tomorrow and happen to see a car hurtling through the air, you're probably watching the launch of Bizarre, a magazine mainly for men. The first issue investigates herbal highs, the curse of Superman and Holland's No 1 orgy organiser. It is on news-stands from Wednesday.

Cheers, tears

Drinking (1): The champion winter beer of Britain will be announced at the Great British Winter Beer Festival, Candleriggs Hall, Glasgow (Thurs- Sat).

Drinking (2 much): A woman who drove on a motorway nearly six-and-a-half times over the limit will be sentenced today at Macclesfield, Cheshire. The breath test reading of 225mg given by 23-year-old Rosemary Foster is the highest ever by a woman.

Where's the beef?

Politics: "Beef is perfectly safe and a good product" claimed Douglas Hogg in November 1995. This was disproved less than a year later, and Hogg's handling of the crisis has made him the most vulnerable member of the Cabinet. Now the Labour Party fancies going for the jugular with a motion of censure against him for debate today. It could (though it is unlikely) bring down the Government.

If he survives all the sound and fury Major will fight back on Thursday with an attack in the Commons on Labour's plans for constitutional reform, which he believes is Blair's Achilles' heel (the Tories don't have one, of course). After this will be a show of unity, at their Local Government Conference in Birmingham on Friday and Saturday. John Major will be speaking at a rally afterwards.

Research: Grania Hehir, James Aufenast