A Stranger's London
First black bishop says "I'm not so special"
The Church of England is to have its first black bishop. Barbados-born father of five, the Reverend Wilfred Wood, 48, has been named as the new suffragan bishop of Croydon.At present Archdeacon of Southwark, South London, he will be consecrated bishop by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, on July 25.
At his home in Brixton the archdeacon said there was "nothing special" about being the first black bishop. "We should take it as a matter of course", he said.
"The kind of society I should like to see in this country is one in which a black person does not have to abdicate, or vindicate, or exaggerate his blackness in order to lead a full life".
He has served in various London parishes and was the Bishop of London's race relations officer for eight years.
He has also been a JP for Inner London and served on the Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure.
Wilfred Wood
The crunch for crisps in school
Headmaster Stephen Booth has banned his 200 pupils from eating crisps at school . . . because they get too thirsty.Classes were being held up as youngsters queued for a drink at the three water fountains in St Peter's C of E Junior and Infants School at Bury. "It was very disruptive" said Mr Booth. "I'd rather see the children bring apple or orange".
But a spokesman for Walkers, who make Britain's top-selling crisps, said: "I'm rather surprised, to say the least that the headmaster has done this".
Gays don't need cash from rates
A plan by the Greater London Council (GLC) to give a £100,000 grant to a social centre for gays has been blocked by the Government.Homosexuals and lesbians did not appear to be economically deprived and the centre should pay its own way, Local Government Minister Kenneth Baker told MPs.
The money would have paid the salaries of the workers' collective managing the Smithfield Recreation Centre.
But Mr Baker questioned whether it was right for ratepayers to subsidise the centre whose total running costs are £250,000 a year. Projected income from customers is only £90,000.
Boy's school phobia
A boy has been excused - school because it is driving him mad. Just the mention of the word makes 12-year-old Oliver Newman go berserk.Medical experts agree he is suffering from "school phobia", a recognised clinical condition. And education chiefs have decided Oliver can be taught by a tutor at home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
His phobia developed after he started at a local comprehensive last year. "It's been a struggle convincing everyone Oliver isn't just a born skiver", said his mother Suzanne, 35. Her other two sons attend school.
Nightmare of babies with three mothers
The vision of a future race of babies, each with three "mothers", has been projected by a top scientist.The chain of reproduction which could result in a black market trade in babies was spelled out by Dr David Wollam, embryologist and Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
It would involve taking an egg from the first woman, fertilising it with the sperm from an unknown donor and implanting it in the womb of the second "mother" for rearing. The baby would then be handed over to the third "mother" someone unable to have children of her own. "I do not think we are very far from the time when the first such baby will be born" Dr Wollam told doctors in London.
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THE RIGHTS OF MAN
Through all history, man has fought for life and for honour and for liberty and for freedom.Try to strip him of these, and he will fight to the end.
At this time, while we congratulate Europe on VE (Victory in Europe) celebration, we pray that the day will come when we shall celebrate VA (Victory in Africa) our struggle against military tyranny and denial of justice, liberty and freedom.
