Peter McDonough

Catholic priest quits church after announcing he is a father.
Father Peter McDonough, a Roman Catholic priest, has quit the Catholic Church after confessing from the pulpit that he has a four-year-old son.

Father McDonough, 54, announced the news during Sunday mass at St Patricks RC Church in Collyhurst, Manchester.

He asked parishioners to sit down before breaking the news. He then announced that he would be stepping down from his role as a priest.

Father McDonough, who had been at St Josephs for 27 years, reached his decision to resign after having several meetings with his bishop, the Rt Rev Terence Brain.
However, church authorities insist that it was very much his decision.

A Woman Named Only As Carole

French ban Muslim woman from pool for wearing 'burkini' swimsuit.

A French woman who converted to Islam has been banned from wearing a "burkini" in a swimming pool outside Paris.

The woman, named only as Carole, 35, was told that the garment, a swimsuit that covers most of the body, was "inappropriate" clothing for a public baths.
Pool staff said her three-piece Islamic swimsuit she bought in Dubai - consisting of a headscarf, tunic and trousers - was against pool regulations and unhygienic.

The ban was imposed as President Nicolas Sarkozy's government is considering an outright ban on all Islamic dress, such as the head-to-toe burka or niqab, that it considers a "sign of subservience" and "not welcome" in France.

I giggled when I read this and thought "whatever next", but actually I think, when in Rome do as the Romans do as they say. If you want to behave oddly do it at home!

Anthony Browne

New Children's Laureate launches campaign to get children drawing.

Anthony Browne is concerned that the pressure of national curriculum tests means priority is given to reading rather than drawing.
He believes that the two should be prized in equal measure and any failure to promote art could lead to a shortage of talented artists in later years. He has called for a day to be set aside each year for children to indulge their artistic side.

Well, bravo, that can be no bad thing, but why only once a year? At least once a term, please!

The day Michael Jackson died I spent hours trawling the internet for the face of Michael as I shall remember him. I couldn't find a photo to my liking! I got soooo frustrated, not least because of time wasted, and I haven't looked at the news, with a view to drawing, since. Until today. I set myself a task, so no excuses from now on.
Not so good with the likeness today, but, hey, I'm out of practise.