In 1989, I made a birthday card for the second red nose day, and ran around collecting signatures and money for it, with visions of being able to present the card live on air - you know, like they do with those big charity cheques.

(In this archive photo, above, you can see me aged 15 - I think Red Nose Day was actually on my birthday that year, which is why the birthday card seemed appropriate), my friend Melissa holding the card, and my sister Anna (who would have been 12), raising money by being sponsored to wear her uniform backwards for the day. As you do…)

After school, a couple of friends and I tramped down to BBC television centre in White City (about 5 minutes away from school) where we hung around the front gate, trying to blag our way in to the telethon/live show/star-studded extravaganza.

It didn’t work, and a chauffeur-driven car containing Rik Mayall nearly ran over my foot.

Eventually, we despondently sloped off home, and I had to persuade my mum to write a cheque for the charity, in exchange for a carrier bag jangling with pound coins and other loose change.

Happily, since then it’s become much easier to give money to Comic Relief - and this year, you can do it from the comfort of your keyboard, and get a funny book into the bargain.

Pop on over to shaggyblogstories.co.uk and order a special edition book, compiled of 100 funny bits by british bloggers including the great, the good and the gigglesome -people you’ve heard of, people whose blogs you read all the time (including, er, me) and people you haven’t yet met. Compiled in just a week, all profits after Lulu takes its cut go to Comic Relief.

Go on. Do it.