I have never been cool. I was the last person in my peer group at school to wear jeans, having to endure a pair of fawn Farahs through my formative years. But this time I have surpassed myself.

In my overeagerness to gain press accrediation for this year's Festival I have managed to land pass number four.

I have always been high 200s before. It is a heady number to have dangling among my chest rug for the four-days in March. I am just trying to work out who the three others quicker out of the blocks were. I bet they were also late developers in the denim stakes.

The entries for the Festival have started to come through now which lets you know the showpiece is creeping closer and still I am without accomodation.

Hopes are high that I may have landed a cottage in Bishop's Cleeve but the man I was negotiating with went to Kenya for Christmas and hasn't been spotted since. Still, we live in hope.

For the past week I have been pestering trainers on both sides of the Irish Sea for the podcasts which are accompanying the press releases from Cheltenham Racecourse. Some have been very helpful, some clearly bored and others you have wondered just why they said yes in the first place.

But what has come across with most is just what the Festival means. All roads throughout the season lead to Cheltenham and now the heat is on.

We are at the stage where any setback means the dream dies. To live with that sort of pressure must be incredible and we can only keep our fingers crossed that all the star names make it to Prestbury Park, fit and ready for their acid test.

The trials are now rolling by and most horses have one run left before the big day itself.

I too plan one final pipe-opener with a trip to the Festival Trials Day on 27th January. This is a vital test for a new pair of shoes I am eyeing for March.

For my first Festival I sported a brand spanking pair of Foot Gloves from Marks and Spencer and by day two could hardly walk.

The balls (of my feet) were very swollen and I could only return home with the assistance of two friends.

So there is my first advice to Cheltenham newcomers. Wear sensible shoes.

The second is allow your kids to wear jeans to school with their friends.